Amid never-ending news of scandals, rules violations, thieves and angry parents, sometimes we need to hear some good news. So on this summer Friday and the start of a long weekend, we bring you the story of four football players in New Jersey who proved doing the right thing isn't so hard after all.
The story, which was originally reported by News 12 New Jersey, goes like this:
Four members of the William Patterson University football team walked into a store looking for an audio cable and some batteries for their dorm room speakers. The players picked up a few items, including the batteries and a pair of sunglasses. There was only one problem: the store was actually closed.
The lights were all on and the store's lock had malfunctioned, giving the appearance that the store was open.
Management at the store, Buddy's Small Lots, received a call from police saying there had been a break-in at the store but upon arrival, nothing was missing.
It turns out the football players paid for their items, despite no one being there to stop them from doing otherwise. The men were captured on camera shouting for a clerk. When no one came, two men can be seen depositing cash on the counter, one even waving bills for the camera to see.
"Not only did they leave money on the counter, they counted out the change," store operations manager Marci Lederman told News 12.
"You can't judge people by the way they look," said Thomas James, one of the players who was in the store.
For their kindness, the men were each rewarded with a $50 gift certificate from the store. The store's security issue has been fixed. And at least for today, our faith in people to do the right thing has been restored.
