HAILSTATEBEAT: Father-Son Moments Go Viral For MSU Track And Field Freshman
August 16, 2017 | Track & Field, HailStateBEAT
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However, the quick rise to fame had nothing to do with athletic ability. In fact, most who have seen the tweet from Saturday are likely to be completely unaware that Charles Brockman is a star track athlete, now a freshman on MSU's track and field team. The outpouring of attention and support has come mostly because Brockman has a great dad. Oh, and a good mom, too, as it was she who took both the pictures that made the tweet viral.
"From the first day of kindergarten to college move in. Thank you dad," Brockman's tweet reads with pictures of he and his dad walking next to each other on each day.
Seeing the two together, more than a decade part, the only difference is that dad's hair is a little longer and son's body has grown a lot taller. In both instances, mom was following close behind, documenting the big days while father and son had one last bonding moment before saying goodbye.So intent was she on snapping photos, in fact, that she didn't even realize how appropriate her pictures were during MSU's move-in day at the residence halls over the weekend. It was Brockman who saw the picture and remembered that they had one just like it from his first day of kindergarten, leading him to put the two side-by-side for a nice tweet he hoped the few followers he had would enjoy.
The interactions rolled in slowly, at first, as notifications would pop up on Brockman's phone for a like here or a retweet there. But eventually, the tweet started to spread and before long his phone was blowing up to the point where it would freeze up entirely if he didn't turn the notifications off.
"I didn't think it would get that big," he said. "I expected a few people like my friends and family to see it and like it, but then it just got bigger and bigger and it's still going."
Stories on websites, in newspapers and even on television stations have racked up by the dozens and into the hundreds over the last few days as the sweet sentiment of such a loving father and son has spoken to so many. Brockman has enjoyed the response for the most part, unexpected as it may be, but now the twitter interactions and internet celebrity have had to take a backseat to the reason he came to Starkville: college. Today was the first day of classes at MSU.
"It was good," he said before offering a light laugh. "Didn't get lost too many times. Just maybe once."
The focus from here will be on his studies in the classroom and his performance on the track with his coaches and teammates. The fame was likely nice for a few days, but Brockman is most proud of the message he was able to share and the support the pictures showed, the love and dedication of a caring mother and father.
"It means a lot," he said of the two pictures with his dad. "I know some people don't have that father figure in their life to have these big moments and spend it with them, mom or dad. He was also my track coach. We do a lot of stuff together. It meant a lot."
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