Six-year-old Braedon Mullins, son of Michael and Dreama Crowder Mullins of St. Albans, went to the Oklahoma State-WVU in Mountaineer Field last Saturday to get autographs – from the West Virginia State Police who maintain order at the games.

They happily autographed his small “WV” football.

Explains his mother, Dreama Crowder Mullins: “He goes to our WVU football games to see our WV State Troopers to get their autographs because they are his true HEROES. Thank you to the State Troopers who made this day so special for him!"

West Virginia State Police shared the photo on its Facebook page. It went viral. Closing in on 100,000 hits so far.

The article on the State Police web site:

While dozens of other children were busy clamoring for the autographs of twenty-year-old student-athletes at Mountaineer Field on the campus of West Virginia University, one little boy named Braedon did something extraordinary — he took his blue and yellow West Virginia football to a group of West Virginia State Troopers tasked with ensuring crowd control and asked for their autographs.

Said mama: “They were lined up at the bottom of the steps and he was so nervous and he stopped and saluted them all. It melted my heart.”

Bredon’s brother, Nate, 9, was getting the autograph of WVU running back Wendell Smallwood. His mother Dreama asked Braedon if he wanted Smallwood to sign his football, too.

Braedon’s response: “No thanks, he’s not a trooper.”

The Crowders are involved with an support the SA Vipers, a youth baseball team in St. Albans, which is near Charleston.