Erath mom thanks Abbeville player for helping her son off the football field

ERATH - Abbeville High junior Michael Rice did not think what he did was a big deal. He saw a player that needed help, so he helped him.
Rice is a member of the Wildcats’ football team who played in a junior varsity football game against the Erath Bobcats.
Rice was playing defensive back, and after a run-play by Erath quarterback Griffin LeBlanc, Rice helped chase him. Then, Rice noticed LeBlanc’s wrist did not look right. Rice saw LeBlanc in pain. Rice put his arms under LeBlanc’s arms and lifted him off the ground. Rice helped LeBlanc walk to the Erath sideline.
“I saw he needed help because his wrist was out of place. It looked nasty,” said Michael Thursday morning at school. “I wanted to help him and do the right thing.”
LeBlanc’s mother, Shana Bernard LeBlanc, took photos of the game on the sideline and captured an image of Rice helping her son off the field.
At the time, she did not think much of it because Griffin hurt his ribs earlier in the season, so she thought he reinjured his ribs. But then, the Erath trainer went to see about him, and figured out it was not his ribs. It was more serious.
“When I saw Jacob [Broussard], the trainer, shake his head, and his eyes told another story, my heart dropped,” said Shana. “But it is when I saw the deformation of his wrist, there were no words.”
After she realized the seriousness of the injury, she went to see about her son. The LeBlanc family went to a Lafayette hospital where it was determined LeBlanc broke his wrist on his right arm. He is a left-hander.
While at the hospital, Shana began to think about the Abbeville player who helped her son off the field. She was determined to find out who he was and thank him.
She walked away from the ER as doctors were resetting Griffin’s bone to speak with Michael.
“I can not believe the young man took the role to help him,” said Shana. “Wow!”
“We are so grateful for Michael. It takes a strong young man to carry an opponent off the field, especially since he was not the one that got the tackle. He took on a role that did not have to be his.”
Abbeville head football coach Roderick Moy watched Michael help Griffin off the field.
“Michael did the right thing, and if the roles were reversed, I am sure that Griffin would have done the same,” said Moy. “The best part is that he did it without a second thought. He saw someone in need, so he helped them. That is what good people do, and that is what we have in this program, very good people.”