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BRADENTON, Fla. -- The break came about an hour into practice. Michigan players started walking toward a small boy with red hair and blue eyes, waiting patiently on the sideline with his Michigan toy. "Hi Jesse!" each said. Jabrill Peppers stopped to say hello. Jesse got so excited, he held onto Pepper's gloved hand and wouldn't let go. "Jesse, he needs some water," his mother pleaded. Peppers smiled. Others around them laughed. After several minutes, Jesse finally let go. The best part of his day was about to happen. Tight end Jake Butt and quarterbacks John O'Korn and Wilton Speight came over to say hello. O'Korn let Jesse wear his helmet for a bit. "It's heavy isn't it?" O'Korn said. Jesse nodded. O'Korn and Speight got up to leave. Butt waited around just a little longer. The two have formed a bond over the last few years as Jesse started attending Michigan events with his mother, Erin Baker. Jesse Baker, 10, has Down syndrome. What makes him happiest is Michigan football.  Not that he had a choice in the matter. Erin grew up near Grand Rapids, hooked on Michigan from the start. Back in 2013, she started taking Jesse to see Michigan. They went to spring games and fan days, and made a connection with receiver Jeremy Gallon. Naturally, Gallon immediately became Jesse's favorite player. Soon, the team knew all about Jesse.
Now Butt is Jesse's favorite. The two grew close about a year and a half ago, after Jesse underwent surgery for sleep apnea. To help correct the issue, doctors removed a part of his tongue. "It was a tough recovery," Erin said. Butt made a get-well video for Jesse on Instagram with offensive linemen Kyle Kalis and Erik Magnuson, and the two have kept in touch ever since. "I first connected with him on Instagram," Butt said. "I was his favorite player and he liked saying 'Jake Butt.' He's a special little kid. I'm trying to stay connected with him. I love his smile, he's got great hands. I think he was 4-for-4 on the long passes we were throwing earlier. Maybe I can learn a few things from him." The Bakers moved from Michigan to Titusville, Florida, last May so Jesse could be enrolled in a better school district. But to their great luck, the Wolverines have made two trips to Florida in that span. They got to spend time with players during their bowl trip to Walt Disney World as part of the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, and they watched Michigan beat Florida 41-7. Jesse watches that game on a loop. When Erin heard Michigan was doing a week of spring practice in Florida, she knew making the three-hour drive from the east coast of the state to the west would be worth it. She wanted to keep the trip a surprise, so Tuesday morning she planned to drive to Bradenton without telling her son. But Jesse threw a fit and demanded to know why he was missing a day of school. She said they were going to Michigan practice. This was his reaction: "They're all his best friends," Erin said. Butt just tops them all, so much so that Jesse has bestowed the tight end with a nickname: "Touchdown." "Now I've got to score a couple more touchdowns this fall," Butt said.
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