What more could a High School senior that just happens to be one of the star football players in their state ask for?  Kaleb Eulls found out when he received an unexpected phone call from Professional NFL Linebacker Chris Draft.

On Tuesday, September 1, 2009, Kaleb was faced with what was probably the most dangerous, however courageous, decision of his life.  MSNBC.com reported that, just before 7:00 a.m. that morning, Eulls, the star football player for Yazoo County High School, was dozing in the back of the bus when his 16-year-old sister awoke him by informing him that a girl on the bus had a gun and was pointing it at different students in the back. 

Surveillance video from the school bus shows that the girl had stood up earlier, took out a chrome-plated .38 automatic handgun, slid a clip with five rounds of ammunition in it and started walking up and down the aisle of the bus, brandishing the weapon. 

Yazoo County Sheriff Thomas Vaughan told reporters, “All I can tell from looking at the video is that she was very irate, and she was mad at somebody on the bus that she stated had been picking on her or messing with her.” 
But it was Kaleb’s heroic actions, along with his talent as a defensive end that saved the day.  MSNBC.com stated that Eulls first opened the emergency door in the back and told the other kids to get off the bus. At the same time, he tried to get the girl to focus on him.

Eulls told media, “I just tried to catch her attention to get the girl to point the gun directly at me and not at anyone else.”  For several tense minutes, as panicked kids tried to get off the bus, he faced the girl, calmly telling her to either give him the gun or put it down. Kaleb said that he was aware that he could have been shot, but if the girl was going to pull the trigger, he would rather that she shot him instead of one of his three younger sisters or another student.  “…..I just tried to calm her down and tried to get the gun away from her, to give it to me or just put it down,” Eulls continued. And as he faced her down, he looked for an opportunity to act.  Finally, she gave him the opening he needed.  “As she glanced or blinked for half a second, I just lunged at her,” Eulls said.  When the girl went down, she dropped the gun. The video shows Eulls getting up, holding the weapon aloft to show that the girl was disarmed. With the girl in pursuit, trying to get the gun back, he jumped out of the back of the bus.

It was Eulls heroics that awarded the senior an unexpected phone call from Professional NFL Player Chris Draft.  Draft stated, “I wanted to call Kaleb and applaud him for such a brave and selfless act.  With all of the negativity that’s usually in the media regarding teenagers, It’s Kaleb’s type of character traits in action that the Chris Draft Family Foundation is always looking to celebrate.” 

The foundation also celebrates outstanding achievers through initiatives such as Draft’s Picks, Character Team, and Literacy Leaders just to name a few.  Chris also sent Kaleb a courage character shirt to say great job to Kaleb Eulls for his excellence off the field.

If you know a unique individual who’s been identified in their community by school administrators, teachers, or coaches as peer leaders and exemplify the highest standards of strong character, outstanding academic or athletic achievement and are proven leaders within their respective community, they could be one of Draft’s Picks.