Football player and little girl in iconic East-West Shrine Bowl logo reunite 50 years later

CBS News

30-01-2025

NORTH TEXAS — The 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl kicks off Thursday at AT&T Stadium. The annual meeting of some of the best college football players in the country gives them the opportunity to impress NFL teams before the draft, but it's also an opportunity for players to give back to kids in need.
If you know the game, you know this image. A football player and a little girl holding hands, walking away.
But, who are they?
"I'm the little girl in the logo of the East-West Shrine game," said Nicole Urteaga, "He's like my knight in shining armor. Here I am, a child that was scared out of my mind."
Urteaga was 2 years old when she was in the hospital during the 1974 East-West Shrine Bowl. That's when she met Mike Esposito.
"He's such a kind soul. Just a warm, heartfelt person. An amazing person to be able to see and to try and calm me down," she said.
Or maybe, Esposito met Urteaga. It's hard to say.
"I could see her beautiful eyes, she was scared. I said to my wife, I said, 'Hun, what are we going to do?' She said, 'Let's take her out for a walk,'" said Esposito.
The 22-year-old all-time leading rusher for Boston College and a two-year-old fighting to walk and use her hands. That first meeting is still a powerful memory for both.
"We picked her up, I could feel her relax, we took her down the hallway, me and her just walked down the hallway and she was happy to get away from the crowd," said Esposito.
And with that one picture, the two became linked forever.
"We didn't know they were doing it, we're just, walking to make her feel better. That's how the picture happened," said Esposito.
An image that has become a beacon of hope for children and families across the country.
"Nicole and I were just talking about, we're just so happy that we could do something that will help another child. That's all we care about. If we happen to be the vehicle that helps them, so be it," said Esposito.