The T-shirts bringing teachers to tears: Inside Bay Port football’s special tradition

October 3, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

HOWARD, Wis. (WFRV) - For Bay Port High School football seniors, making an impact goes beyond the field.

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Each season, the team's senior players take part in a tradition that gives them the opportunity to recognize the teachers and school staff who have made a lasting difference in their lives.

The tradition began in 2023, started by a parent who wanted her child and his teammates to have an opportunity to honor the educators who helped shape them. Since then, every senior on the football team has participated.

As part of the tradition, each player chooses a staff member who has had a meaningful impact on them. The players then surprise their chosen educators with a T-shirt featuring the player's name and jersey number.

For senior Henry Atkinson, that person was Jesse Wiltzius, a middle school teacher at Bay View who also coaches several sports.

Atkinson, a left guard, said Wiltzius was one of his favorite teachers and helped him academically as he prepared to transition into high school.

The two also shared a special memory from Atkinson's time on the eighth-grade basketball team. Wiltzius gave him the nickname "Peanut," a name that stuck with both of them.

"He's just an awesome human being," Atkinson said. "Whether it's education, you need personal help, or really anything, he's always there for you."

But Atkinson wasn't the only senior who wanted to recognize Wiltzius.

Just minutes after Atkinson's surprise on Friday, senior wide receiver Max Peot walked in with another T-shirt for the teacher.

Peot said Wiltzius had been his basketball coach since seventh grade and made an effort to get to know his players beyond the classroom and the court.

"He’s a great person," Peot said. "My education was the main factor, and he's just a phenomenal person to just talk to."

For Wiltzius, who has spent 21 years teaching, receiving recognition from two former students was especially meaningful.

He said it's been an honor to watch the boys grow from seventh graders into young adults in their senior year.

"It means the world. It's about those connections, those relationships. That's why I do what I do," Wiltzius said.

He added that he hopes his students grow into good people who give back to their communities and make a difference in others' lives.

While the tradition gives players a chance to recognize the people who helped them along the way, Wiltzius said he was grateful to be just one part of their journey.

"I'm so proud of them, and I'm very thankful that they recognize me because I'm just one person in their journey," Wiltzius said.

For Bay Port's seniors, the tradition is a reminder that some of the biggest impacts made throughout their high school careers happen well beyond the football field.

WFRV will update this story as necessary.

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