When Petey Jones was in the seventh grade, his father passed away from a heart attack. It was around this time that he met Ryan Holdren, his social studies teacher and the assistant coach of the football team. Holdren became Jones’ mentor and made sure that he was able to continue playing football after the unexpected loss of his mother a little more than a year later. Then, that same year, Jones lost his sister, who was going to be his guardian following his parents' deaths.
After learning that Jones’ sister had died in a house fire, Holdren and his then-girlfriend Caitlin offered the teen a place to stay. One night turned into a couple of weeks then they started talking about making Jones’ stay permanent. With the support of Jones’ remaining family, Holdren became his legal guardian in early 2022 and they became a family, with Jones standing beside Ryan and Caitlin at their wedding and welcoming their son, Everett. He took on the role of big brother, supporting his new sibling during his time in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Now Jones is finishing up his final year of high school, and he’s grateful for the support he’s received and plans to play college football next year while studying to become a nurse. The Holdren family praises Jones for his resilience and his remarkable achievements both academically and athletically. Now an assistant principal and head football coach, Holdren is confident in Jones’ future success, but the family’s feelings are bittersweet as they prepare for him to move away from home for college.
Source: GOOD MORNING AMERICA