Nihar Janga, a fifth grader from Austin, caught the attention of the Dallas Cowboys when he “threw up the X” to celebrate his co-championship in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
The “X,” which mimics how Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant celebrates when scoring a touchdown, was a tribute to Janga’s favorite player.
“This little kid is really amazing,” Bryant said. “He thinks that much of me. That’s the stuff that drives me, when I see stuff like that.”
After his victory, the Cowboys invited Janga and his family to attend Cowboys minicamp practice and to spend the afternoon with Bryant.
The 11-year old was also a guest of Cowboys coach, Jason Garrett, at his morning press conference.
In front of a room filled with reporters and cameras, Janga stepped up to the podium and spelled, “gesellschaft,” the word that sealed his co-title in the competition.
Garrett asked the fifth grader how he knew a word like that.
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“My mom helped me to prepare,” Janga said.
But his time around his favorite NFL team didn’t stop with Janga’s one visit to Valley Ranch.
“I told him, he’s coming to all the home games,” Bryant said. “He lives right down the road in Austin, Texas. He’s free to come to all of them.”
