Eastern Michigan University Football Player Gifts Scholarship to His Teammate

A senior at Eastern Michigan University has given up his own football scholarship in order to help a teammate who had been struggling to make ends meet.

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A Selfless Gift

Brian Dooley is a senior at EMU who has started 45 games during his career at the school. He says that for four years, he's been watching fellow offensive lineman Zack Conti struggle to pay his way through school. He says that he's even seen Conti go as far as to sell his own plasma in order to stay afloat financially.

"I did it because I've seen Conti grow over the years," Dooley said. "Seeing him walk away from something that he loves did not sit well with me. He works hard and gets extra work with me all the time. In my eyes he earned it 100%, giving up my scholarship so he can stay and play means everything. I'm proud of what he has become and cannot wait to see what he does on the field."

Dooley says he had heard that Conti had been in danger of needing to step away from the program because of his financial woes and noted that he couldn't let that happen.

Coach Delivers the News

Coach Chris Creighton delivered the news of Dooley's gift during a team meeting on August 3. That moment, along with Conti's genuine look of gratitude toward his teammate, was captured in the video below.

Conti says he is beyond happy, expressing his gratitude for Dooley's gift.