Colorado Buffaloes’s Jimmy Horn Jr. has had a terrific start to the season. He capitalized on his chance to record an unforgettable performance in his second year, scoring a high of 198 yards and one touchdown, leading the team to pick up a 31-26 win against North Dakota in the Buffs’ first game of the season. Since then, Horn Jr. has been an effective weapon for the Buffs’ QB, Shedeur Sanders. Along with Travis Hunter, he is part of a dangerous offense that every opponent fears.

While Horn Jr. must have celebrated his delight after his Week 1 performance in the locker room and continued fixing his helmets for more spectacular future deliveries, he did so with a pinch of melancholy. Reason? A son’s urge to let his father’s incarcerated father see his meteoric rise in the league. On his birthday, Jimmy Horn Jr seemed to be emotional about his dad’s prolonged absence from his life, a little more than usual. A heartfelt Insta story carries the inner soul scream of the 22-year-old. Sharing a heart-melting snap with his father, Horn Jr. wrote over the IG story, ”Pops bday tdy mane know what it is mis yea love yea free big jumbo.” All that the Buffs WR wants is his father’s freedom as they spend the Sr.’s special day away from each other.

Horn Jr. was born and brought up in Sanford, Florida, and his father, Jimmy Horn Sr, has been a central figure in his life ever since. As a single parent, he did everything for his son to ensure a bright and better future. Although Horn Sr. was a strict dad, he barely forgot to pour empathy and emotion into the kid’s soul, strengthening a wholesome father-son bond. However, destiny had some other plan. The court sued the WR’s father on multiple charges for d–g-related complications from an incident back on November 2, 2021. On August 14, he was sentenced to imprisonment.

Horn Sr. used to play football at Seminole High School and Bethune-Cookman University, but he didn’t make it to the NFL and instead worked as a truck driver and barber. However, he kept the flame of that passion burning and channeled that unfulfilled wish through his son.

Jimmy Horn Sr. vested his all to get his son at the helm of success

”Once he gets his toe in at college, my job is done. That’s been my goal since elementary school. I almost raised him myself. … His mom’s always been within arm’s reach, but she had other kids,” said a responsible father who used to work day and night to provide for his son’s illuminated future.

Horn Sr. relentlessly instilled the priceless lesson of hard work, discipline, and perseverance into his son’s life. These values not only helped a tiny kid to find his footing in a highly competitive field like football but also built his character in a solid anatomy. Horn Sr. also kept the Buffs player untouched by the harsh everyday reality of life and let him invest his full attention in the gridiron.

Now, when it’s time for Horn Jr to shine in the road his father carved out for him, the latter isn’t here to cheer from the gallery with teary eyes. He had to keep his urge concealed over the dark four walls of a room. If it’s not the epitome of fatherly love and sacrifice, we don’t know what it is.

If you want to know about other nitty-gritty of college football, you can refer to our ES Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment.