The bad news is that Leonard Fournette was involved in a three-car fender bender on Tuesday. The good news is that nobody was injured in the crash.
Being in even a minor car accident isn’t a fun experience for anyone. But Fournette managed to make it a more pleasant memory for the people involved.
Fournette signed the bumper from his 2017 Maybach and sent it home with a first responder.
#Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette signed the bumper of his 2017 Maybach and gave it to a first responder after someone rear-ended him on I-295. He also posed for pics. Everyone ok. Woman in an SUV cited for careless driving, causing crash. pic.twitter.com/hxwJznCQm1
— Vic Micolucci WJXT (@WJXTvic) January 16, 2018
Sure, game-worn jerseys and helmets are cool or whatever. But I bet you won’t find another NFL fan with a Maybach bumper signed by a player.
Fournette also posed for photos with people working to clear the crash and with a young fan on the scene.
Special Thanks to @Jaguars Leonard @_fournette for being a true professional. He took the time to take a photo with boy involved in crash and to thank our trooper for his service. We are glad to hear of no injuries in this crash. pic.twitter.com/ICQSKL9tAw
— FHPJacksonville (@FhpJacksonville) January 16, 2018
This is cool. @DawnANjax got this from FaceBook friend. I think Leonard is just fine. @Jaguars @ActionNewsJax #Jaguars #JAXvsNE pic.twitter.com/ddWm65DrFk
— Brent Martineau (@BrentASJax) January 16, 2018
Fournette was rear-ended in the accident. He wasn’t at fault and he won’t be charged. The driver who caused the incident was charged with careless driving.
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The team released a brief statement confirming that Fournette was unhurt.
“Leonard is okay and was able to drive home,” the Jaguars’ senior manager of public relations, Tad Dickman, said via Twitter. “Appreciate everyone that has reached out to check on him.”
Oh, and the people who hit Fournette? They were Steelers fans.
“I wasn’t really worried about it,” Fournette said, via USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell. “But the funny thing is, it was Pittsburgh fans. Know what I mean?”
You can forget any kind of revenge conspiracy theories. They didn’t know who Fournette was until he started taking pictures with other people on the scene.
Fournette’s not the first rookie to have a vehicular mishap right before a playoff game. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was involved in a minor crash last year right before Dallas’ Divisional Round loss to the Packers.
Anyone who’s been keeping up with Fournette this season shouldn’t be surprised that he was such a nice guy in what would typically be an unpleasant situation. Fournette met a young fan named Kevin after a loss to the Cardinals in Week 12, and he took the cleats right off his feet and sent them home with Kevin.
The Jaguars play the Patriots this weekend, and Fournette should be good to go. And all of the folks involved in the accident and the cleanup have quite a story to tell now.