“Look in the mirror”: Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty receives an emotional message from aunt ahead of big day

No. 9 Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was named Heisman finalist alongside Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The winner of the Heisman Trophy will be announced at the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

In the leadup to the big announcement, Jeanty received an emotional message from his aunt. The voice message posted on the Players Tribune's Instagram account said:

"Hi Ash, it's your Auntie Godmom Lin. Around this time 21 years ago Rich and I went to my bro's place to wait for you to be born. I grabbed and poked her belly and told you to get your big head out here, but you said, "I'm not leaving yet." It was truly from that moment I knew in my heart you were gonna be special, and you had God's DNA, a non-conformist spirit.

It was that same spirt in 10-year-old Ashton that was determined to work on his athletic craft by any means necessary to be the greatest of all time. As we approach Heisman weekend and the NFL draft, I'm thinking of our talks about your highs and lows, and the dreams and visions that little Ashton had. To grow up and earn the Heisman, and go to the NFL. On Saturday morning, look in the mirror and tell 10-year-old Ashton, 'You did it. You're a Heisman finalist.' I'm beyond proud of your beautiful and humble soul. You inspire us all. You're an amazing big God brother and cousin. My babies look up to you so much. I'm so blessed my sister and brother gave me you as my godson and nephew. I see so much greatness in your future. I love you nephew, God son."

How likely is it for Ashton Jeanty to win the Heisman Trophy?

Although Ashton Jeanty received this emotional message from his aunt and was named a finalist, it's unlikely for him to win the Heisman. Although it is still a possibility, Travis Hunter is widely expected to win the award. Analysts, fans and sportsbooks agree that Hunter is going to win the award.

However, if there is an upset, most people agree that Jeanty is the second most likely finalist to win the Heisman. So, if the vote goes differently from what most experts expect, Jeanty could be the winner.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Abhimanyu Gupta