Sid Ortis story shared on ESPN's 'GameDay'; LSU coach Miles says teen's 'spirit
By Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com AL.com
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Mountain Brook, AL
The story of Sid Ortis, the 16-year old Mountain Brook teenager and LSU fan who lost his battle with cancer but has inspired so many, was shared Saturday morning in a special segment on ESPN's "College GameDay" program from Tuscaloosa.
Tom Rinaldi shared how Ortis battled osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and was befriended by LSU head coach Les Miles before passing away on Oct. 31.
"In Alabama, there are not a lot of LSU fans," his father, Scott, told Rinaldi. "He loved that."
After learning of Sid's cancer diagnosis, his Mountain Brook community--usually an epicenter of either Alabama or Auburn fans--dressed itself in purple and gold, and supported their hometown teenager.
Soon after, Miles heard about Ortis and reached out to him.
In the "GameDay" interview, Miles explained his first conversation with Ortis: "I placed a call to him shortly thereafter and struck up a conversation. I told him, it's not the length of time that you are here, it's the quality of time that's so great."
Miles invited Ortis to LSU's game against in September and met in person for the first time; they also wanted him to be able to attend today's clash with Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Miles said that, during that day in Auburn, "I told him I loved him."
When Rinaldi asked why, he said: "Because he was bright and happy, and with all the difficulties he was enduring he had spirit and fight and a smile and enjoyment. I realized he wouldn't gt many opportunities do this again."
"It was the best day ever," Sid told his father.
Miles talked to the teen one more time before his death, and asked him to save a place for him in heaven.
"His body would lose, but his spirit would overcome," Miles said in the interview.
Rinaldi said the Ortis family wanted to keep sharing the story, so that more funding could be raised for pediatric cancer.
The story finished with the detail that Alabama coach Nick Saban had asked Ortis to attend a practice session with the team.
"LSU to the core, he declined," Rinaldi said.