Riders’ Ese Mrabure saves 4-year-old fan’s first game

Michael Owens couldn’t wait to take his four-year-old son to his first Roughrider game, but his plans were put in jeopardy when his van was broken into and his tickets stolen.

Hoping to salvage the game for his son, Kyler, Owens posted on Kijiji looking to purchase two more tickets to the game.

That’s where Roughriders defensive lineman Ese Mrabure stepped in. He said he can’t remember what exactly he was looking for on the popular resale site, but the post jumped out at him.

“(The post) was something about (Owens) had tickets for his son and him to go to his first game and they got stolen,” said Mrabure. “I thought I could do a good deed for somebody.”

Mrabure left him two tickets at the will call area at Mosaic Stadium with an extra surprise: two sideline passes.

Owens said he couldn’t have asked for a better first game for Kyler, who loved being on the sidelines with the players.

“He enjoyed it, the only thing that scared him was the (fly-by) at the beginning,” Owens said.

The sideline passes also allowed Owens and his son to thank Mrabure in person.

“When I was running out, he was like ‘Ese! Ese! Ese! Thanks for the tickets,’” Mrabure said. “So I got to see his face and stuff and shake his hand.”

Mrabure said he was happy to give back to a fan base that has given him, and the team, so much.

“I always told myself if I was in that type of position, no matter what it was, I would try to reach out to the fans as best as possible,” he said.

Mrabure’s good deed comes on the heels of fellow lineman Jonathan Newsome providing Labour Day Classic tickets for a woman and her daughter two weeks ago.

Owens said it just shows the class of the players and the Roughrider organization.

“They’re awesome people,” he said.