EJ Manuel, Dustin Hopkins Deliver Hope in Dying Boy's Final Hours

The Monday morning press conferences at Florida State are always interesting for different reasons, this morning the mood was light-hearted with Jimbo Fisher poking fun at reporters and EJ Manuel joking about a cell phone that went off mid-comment.

But things quickly turned somber as EJ was about to sign off.

"One thing I wanted to add," said Manuel, his tone switching from one of laughter to a much more serious inflection. "Dustin Hopkins and I went and visited Austin Fleetwood yesterday. I would just like all of you guys, if you get an opportunity to go on his facebook page, it's called Team Fleetwood.

"He passed this morning."

The air was sucked out of the room in that instant and you could see EJ Manuel's eyes well up slightly.

"I've never experienced something like that, luckily my parents and my sister were still here. I couldn't help but cry this morning when I got that text. Just please go on his facebook page, support it, get [everyone you can] to support it, I can't tweet it but you guys can do it for us. It would mean a lot to our team and to Dustin and I."

Austin Fleetwood was 17 years old, he was battling bone and tissue cancer. According to WTXL in Tallahassee the diagnosis came last April after he began having trouble breathing.

Things must have progressed quickly.

"He wanted to come to the game [Saturday night] but he wasn't able to because [they] wanted him to get some rest," said Manuel.

So on Sunday afternoon the Seminoles came to see Austin in Crawfordville, Florida.

The day after beating Murray State in the opener, Hopkins and Manuel drove down to see Fleetwood with FSU's Director of Football Eric Korem, they signed autographs and raised the young man's spirits at a time when he needed it the most. 

"Everyone [on the team] wanted to go, but we only had a two-seat car," said Manuel.

"You could just see a smile on his face. I can't forget it. I've got his wristband on and everything too. I'm definitely supporting Team Fleetwood."

Manuel, who was clearly touched by the experience, will wear the wristband the rest of the season to honor Austin.

You can show the Fleetwood family your support on their facebook page or you can support the family with a monetary contribution by going to any Wells Fargo in Tallahassee and asking to donate to the "Austin Fleetwood revocable trust fund."