Morris agreed and took things a step further. The very next day, he hopped on the hotel shuttle along with the rest of the team and supported the little leaguers in person.

Think about that for a moment: A professional athlete trying to make an NFL roster as a sixth-round pick and yet, there he was supporting a group of 10-year-olds whom he'd just met less than 24 hours prior. Angie knew her family had stumbled upon a special human being.

"That's kind of how things came to be," Angie said. "I said to him, 'Whatever happens, just know that you have some friends in Virginia. If you're ever in the area, here's my number. Feel free to come see us anytime.'"

The Mack family kept close tabs on Morris' rookie season. They celebrated each of Morris' 13 home run swings as the running back helped lead Washington to an NFC East title and earned Pro Bowl honors.

The Macks were gathered around the dinner table the following summer when Angie's phone rang. It was Morris, asking permission to come visit on his way from Washington D.C. back to his home in Pensacola, Fla. They set dates, and Angie offered to set up hotel accommodations. He ended up staying with the Macks instead.

He rolled up in "The Bentley" – a lavish moniker for his beloved 1991 Mazda 626 that is still running to this day. Angie organized a team reunion so that all the boys could see Morris again. They played baseball in the backyard and had a nice picnic, complete with a cake for Morris. The guest of honor planned on staying just one night. He ended up staying for three.

Morris returned the favor and invited the Macks as his guests to Redskins training camp. What's wild, though, is that in all the time they've known Morris, they've never seen him play a game in person. That's because football isn't the priority of their relationship. Angie impressed upon her boys that the sport doesn't define Morris. Football is his job, but it's not who he is. The boys' respect for Morris should have nothing to do with his fame, she told them. They've never asked for an autograph, and Angie has never wanted Morris to pay for tickets to get them to a game.

"I wanted my entire family to know just how blessed we are to have him in our lives," Angie said.

That's something Morris values immensely. Professional athletes often lose the normalcy of life that many take for granted. People usually want something from athletes, whether they directly ask for it or not.

"It's just never been about football to them," Morris added. "They've always treated me as Alfred the person, not Alfred the football player. They'd rather come see me when there's no game. A lot of people want to come visit when there's a game involved, but getting people to visit us during the offseason is like pulling teeth."

Angie said she touches base with either Morris or his wife Lindsey at least once a week via text. They're usually able to meet in person once a year.

There was one summer when Morris accepted an invitation to watch Nathaniel's baseball team play in a tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Several of the players were familiar faces as they were also on the same York County All-Star team. Morris delivered a pregame speech prior to the semi-final and sat in the dugout throughout the game. The team went on to win the tournament.

Morris wasn't able to attend Jonathan's high school graduation party. To make up for it, he surprised Jonathan shortly after on his way back to Pensacola. That was just one of Morris' several trips to visit the Macks in Yorktown.