It is a friendship and a bond formed between two namesakes.
One, a young boy from Kingston — the other, a 26-year-old NFL offensive linemen in Oakland, Calif.
How they met started with a simple message on Instagram, sent about a year ago.
Seven-year-old Trent Rhodes, known as “T” is a New England Patriots fan — along with his five-year-old brother Kaden.
“I’m the big, big brother,” says Trent.
His dad, 33-year-old Alec Rhodes, is a lifelong Patriots fan.
“Trent and Kaden have both watched football with me. And Trent noticed there was Trent Brown on the Patriots,” says Alec. “He’d point at the TV and say, ‘that’s me on the TV, Dad.’ I humored him, it’s the same first name.
“And as time went on, he continued to say it and say it. He looked up to this guy.”
On a whim, Alec sent Trent Brown, an offensive linemen for the Patriots at the time — now known to the family as “Big T”, a message on Instagram.
“He was very warmed by a little boy in Canada,” says Alec. “There are many differences between Trent Brown and Trent Rhodes.
“And he replied immediately.”
After communicating for almost a year, four-foot “Little T” met his friend, six-foot-eight “Big T” in New Jersey just weeks ago.
Soon, once the new football season begins, Little T hopes to see his friend again – now with the Oakland Raiders.
“You want to go to Oakland?,” asked Alec of his son. Trent replies, “Yeh!” with a big smile.
A friendship that started with a simple message via social media and two people, decades apart in age, with the same first name.
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