College Football Player's Parents Passed Away Before His Senior Day So He Walked Onto The Field With His Two Dogs

Dec 05, 2019 by apost team

College football is known for its traditions. With Michigan State University, one of their traditions occurs during the final game of the season. It is when the football team's seniors come through the tunnel to play the last game of their collegiate career. It's a celebratory event usually enjoyed with family.

Josh Butler is a cornerback with Michigan State University. His parents passed away before they could participate in the senior day event and meet him on the field. He refused to be sad and didn't walk onto the field on Saturday alone, instead, Butler brought his two dogs. 

At the age of 23, Butler is a fifth-year student. The Lansing State Journal reported in November 2017, Butler's father Steven passed away. It happened a few hours before Butler was ready to play in an important game against Penn State. In April 2019, his mother Ladrida Bagley died. She had been diagnosed as having stage 4 breast cancer.

In between the deaths of his parents, Butler adopted two dogs and named them Roxy and Remi. They were sister canines and a pit bull mix. They instantly became Butler's best canine friends. During the final game of the season, he went into Spartan Stadium before a loud cheering crowd with Remi and Roxy, his two dogs.

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Butler's dogs Roxy and Remi have become online celebrates in their own right. Butler maintains an Instagram account. He has used it to document the daily events in the lives of the 7-month-old Remi and her 2-year-old big sister Roxy.

They are often wearing Spartan gear when Butler records them. When Butler had his graduation pictures taken, Roxy was patiently posing next to him. She was wearing her own graduation cap.

Graduation In December 2018, Butler was given his undergraduate degree. He is now ready to be given a master's degree in information and media. Butler tells his friends as well as teammates that his dogs have helped him get through his grief. They enabled him to focus on all the good things that are still in his life. He told the Lansing State Journal:

"We talk about the sadness and the negativity about a lot of things because that's what they remember the most, but there's also positivity behind any story. There's always a rise after the fall." 

This is the story of a courageous young man who faced a heartbreaking situation and found a positive way to deal with it. If you believe your friends would enjoy reading this be sure to make it available to them. It will generate positive discussions.