- April 25, 2024
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Zeli Hayworth Courtesy photos
Kevin, Gaston, Maria, Sam and Zeli Hayworth
Zeli Hayworth, 11, grew up in an Ethiopian orphanage with many other abandoned kids, hoping someone would take him away and provide a home. Zeli was taken away. He was adopted by the Hayworths — a sports-filled family who has afforded him an opportunity of a lifetime.
NFL’s Pass, Punt and Kick program hosted a tournament at each of its 32 team locations for five age divisions. Zeli won his division competition and advanced — the only winner from Florida to do so — as one of the Top four distances from the team winners, who will compete at the National Punt, Pass and Kick Championship at the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 29, in Orlando.
“We were all excited for him,” said Maria Hayworth, his mother. “He would track the other team competitions every day to see where he stacked up, and, when he found out he made the Top 4, he was thrilled.”
Zeli trains two times per week with his grandfather, Tony Melachrino, the former Mainland and Seabreeze coach. And, when his big brother, Sam Hayworth, former Seabreeze kicker and current Eastern Kentucky player, is in town, Sam helps strengthen his kicking game.
Zeli believes he can win the competition. The Top two boys in his division each scored 295 feet. Zeli says totals around 300 feet on a regular basis; he just had an OK day to at the competition.
Americanized
When Zeli first came over to America, his mother, Maria, said he was fascinated with the things we might deem most common. Lights in the house. Escalators in shopping stores. But, now, she says, after six years of living here, he’s been Americanized.
“He’s pretty ticked off that he’s the only one in his elementary school that doesn’t have a cell phone,” she laughed. “That does not make him happy.”
Zeli has also fallen in love with America’s favorite game and wishes to become a quarterback one day like Tom Brady, his favorite player.
Going from an Ethiopian orphanage to center stage at an NFL Pro Bowl…what a journey!
