It has been a whirlwind week for Jets fans everywhere, many of whom are still struggling to wrap their minds around the blockbuster trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts eight days ago.
But for two New Jersey kids who love the Jets, the last week has been about much more than adjusting to life without their favorite player. Gardner’s stunning trade and their reaction to it set off a surreal week of emotions, memories, and overnight deliveries that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
The moment has been well documented: T.J. Vilardi, a Wall Township resident and long-time Jets season-ticket holder, recorded himself breaking the news to his young sons, Trey, 9, and Bryce, 7.
Trey took the news of the day with some obvious trepidation, but managed to remain calm. Bryce? Not so much. He immediately broke down in tears with a dash of anger – a moment that was both heartbreaking and relatable for anyone who has cheered for the Jets over the years.
The video quickly gained traction on social media – Vilardi’s original video on X has more than 6.5 million views. It has been shared on other platforms millions of times over – with Gardner commenting on it and sharing it on his Instagram account before he even arrived in Indianapolis on the night of the trade.
Here’s how it came together. And why these brothers will remember it for the rest of their lives.
T.J. Vilardi found it hard to comprehend that the video reached Gardner. He wasn’t even sure if it was a good idea to tell the kids about the big moves their favorite team had made, including sending star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to Dallas.
“We had to get them doing homework and then out the door to soccer practice,” Vilardi said. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know if we should tell them because they’re going to have a meltdown, and I don’t know if I want to deal with that.’”
But Vilardi’s wife pointed out that the reaction would be far worse if they found out from their friends. He decided to tell them and pulled out his phone so he could document the moment for his group text with the fellow season-ticket holders from his section at MetLife Stadium.
“I was like, ‘Let me just record it because I want to send this to my buddies that have been texting me all day about this,’” Vilardi said. “I thought they’d get a kick out of it.”
But the reaction surprised even Vilardi in the moment. He expected his older son to have the bigger freakout because he’s a more passionate fan. To say Trey is a huge Jets fan is an understatement. He’s in the exclusive club of Olu Fashanu jersey wearers – a feat made even more impressive considering he had to ask for a custom order because the Jets’ store doesn’t carry that one in kids’ sizes. But instead of getting upset at the news, Trey seemed interested in learning more about the details. His questions continued long after the camera went off.
For Bryce, it was all over once he heard Gardner was gone. That’s because in 2023, Bryce attended training camp in Florham Park and got to spend a few minutes chatting with Gardner as he signed autographs – including his jersey – at the end of a practice.
“And since that day, he like fell in love with him as his favorite player,” T.J. Vilardi said. “He always asks about him and always looks for him whenever he’s on the field.”
And that’s why it hit so hard when he got the news.
Vilardi sent the reaction along to his friends in the group text and figured that was that, but within minutes, his friends started urging him to share it on social media. He wasn’t sure about that.
“My son was having an epic meltdown,” Vilardi said. “And I know people are going to be like, ‘Why are you posting your kid crying?’ So I wasn’t sure if I should post it.”
But after talking it over with his wife, Vilardi decided it was worth sharing because he knew other Jets fans might be dealing with similar feelings. He posted it and tagged some of the accounts he follows.
“And then I put my phone down,” Vilardi said. “And when I picked it back up maybe 15-20 minutes later, it had 250,000 views and I was getting flooded with requests, like ‘Can we share this on our platform?’”
It only got crazier over the next 24 hours. By night, Gardner had weighed in on the moment, wondering why Vilardi hadn’t waited until the morning to tell his children – clearly advice from someone who doesn’t have children.
There was an early morning television interview on “Good Morning America” the day after the trade. The signed Colts jerseys from Gardner that showed up the day after the trade for both boys. A call from the Jets inviting his sons to come to a game later this season and spend some time on the field before kickoff. And countless deliveries from sports apparel companies offering everything from oversized Jets hats to posters to hang in their rooms.
Bryce said the most memorable part was being recognized out in public the day after the video went viral. And he especially appreciated that Gardner wrote a personalized message on each of the signed jerseys.
“I really, really liked that,” Bryce said.
And it kept going even this week – on Monday, the brothers received a package from the Jets with signed jerseys from Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Much has been made about Bryce’s initial reaction when he seemed to swear off his Jets fandom. But he says he’s still a Jets fan, just a Jets fan who now gets to watch the Colts and also cheer for his favorite player. Trey, whose die-hard Jets fan status was never in doubt, now has even more to love about his favorite team.
“It was great that the Jets did this,” Vilardi said. “They went above and beyond to help keep the boys in the green and white.”
The only problem for Vilardi now? Getting his sons to realize that this isn’t normal. But it’s a whole lot easier to move on from a moment like this when it ends with a smile that might never go away.
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