Editor's note: At first I was skeptical. Another Manti Te'o story? He already had been featured on our front-page and sports covers. But after listening to this story, I felt it was worth printing. It illustrates the important role star athletes play in influencing our youth.

This story was written by Caroline Kauhane, mother of a Punahou fourth-grader who, on Dec. 5, after Punahou had beaten Leilehua for its first state football title, received a gift and a memory of a lifetime. We, in turn, were given another glimpse into the character of probably the most heralded high school football player of this generation.

This morning on their drive to school, our 9-year-old daughter asked my husband if it was wrong that she was looking forward to tonight's Punahou vs. Leilehua football game more than she was Christmas.

A girl of few words, we realized that this was huge. Sure, she had worn her Punahou football jersey to school just as she had every Friday all season. However, we sensed that she could not contain her excitement about this game, the last game of the season.

Finally tonight, after a long week and a long day at school, an 80-minute drive to the stadium in bumper-to-bumper traffic with our poor, screaming, four-month-old baby boy, we arrived. All I could think was, this is important. It is important to her, it is important to us.

You see, ever since Manti Te'o (arguably the nation's top high school linebacker recruit) promised her one of his football gloves, she has anticipated this night.

It happened after Punahou's homecoming game against 'Iolani earlier this season (October). When the game ended, she was given permission to have her brand new football jersey autographed, then stormed the field with dozens of other kids.

She came back ecstatic that her jersey now donned Manti's autograph AND that he had agreed to give her his gloves at his last game.

Gloves you say? OK, even though we found it a bit odd, gloves are probably the most practical piece of equipment to ask for if you are going to ask a football player for anything.

A TRUE MENTOR

Coincidently, Manti later was assigned as a student mentor in her fourth grade class the following week at school.

Fittingly, it was for a unit called "A Class Act" (a character-building program).

She reminded him that her name was Micaela and he remembered agreeing to give her the gloves, and now promised that one of them could be for one of her best friends, Rachel.

They just needed to wait for him after the last game.

It is one of the wonderful aspects of a K-12 school. A positive, inspirational role model and student. Someone whom your child can literally look up to. She even e-mailed him encouraging notes before games, "I know you can win the State Championship. Good luck tonight. Oh, and don't forget about the glove."

We began to get glimpses into Manti's character when he e-mailed back, thanking her for her support and asking her to thank all of her other classmates for him and to let them know that he would e-mail them when he had more time.

CENTER OF ATTENTION

Over the weeks Micaela heard others were asking and promised gloves, too. I could tell that she tried to accept that she might not get them after all, even saying before the game, "If losing means that Manti will give me the glove, then I would choose for them to win."

Tonight it happened. Punahou School won its first football State Championship.

Punahou has built its reputation on turning out numerous Presidential and Merit scholars, water polo, basketball, tennis, soccer, volleyball and track state championship teams, a U.S. President-Elect. Football? Not until tonight.

As a mother, you are naturally worried that this could be one of the greatest moments of her life, or one of its biggest disappointments.

After all, everyone wants a piece of this guy. It would be perfectly understandable if he were to forget, to become preoccupied by all the hoopla.

This was a historic night and he played a significant role in making it happen.

The game ended and there was Gov. Lingle and her entourage coming out to the field to greet him, the entire Hawai'i media with cameras and microphones in his face. All the friends, fans, girls, classmates, family and well wishers.

In the back of his mind had to be BYU, Charlie Weis, Pete Carroll, letters of intent, and all the celebrating that would be waiting for him back at school.

Micaela stood just where she had the entire night, right behind the 10-yard line.

She had a small homemade sign "Manti Teo #5."

WORTH THE WAIT

It was nearly 11:30 p.m. and my husband understandably decided to head home with our eldest daughter and her friend. I would not dream of asking Micaela if we should leave after the game was over and knew we were in it to stay.

She asked if we could move to the 50-yard line five minutes before the game ended, but I said I think we should stay where we were, that Manti would see her.

He would, wouldn't he? We counted together, "five, four, three, two, one!"

We watched as Manti set up Coach (Kale) Ane while his teammate dumped water on him, as the teams shook hands, posed for pictures, celebrated with the winning trophy, sang "Oahua."

Manti had been off on his own, away from the team, barraged by reporters.

I could sense her anticipation. Looking at the throngs of fans who now filled the edges of the stadium, I tried to lighten the mood by saying, "Well, he would have to see his family first, then his #1 fan second."

She giggled. The moments that followed played out like a movie that neither Micaela nor I would ever forget.

A FACE IN THE CROWD

Manti turned and walked toward the crowd, as if looking for someone in particular. Something told me that it was her, that he had remembered.

It also seemed like everyone's eyes were on him. Suddenly he pointed, walked in our direction, and said "MICAELA." walking and pointing at her on the way.

He came over as everyone looked on and asked her which glove she wanted and she quietly, and I mean quietly, tried to explain that Rachel was sick and couldn't come to the game and that she needed to collect both (one each). He couldn't quite hear her and asked her again, she tried to tell him again, but he said, "Which one?" She finally replied "the right one."

I admit to tearing up and mouthing "thank you" and "this means so much to her" to him. He remembered.

I recently attended parenting workshops through Punahou School, featuring Dr. Jerry Becker. Among some of his insightful teachings I walked away with, was about the importance of celebrating character, not achievement. We had done this, hadn't we? What happened tonight spoke a thousand words and exemplified character that any parent would be proud of.

Our long walk back to an almost empty parking lot helped to temper what had just taken place. I could tell that it was one of her happiest moments, yet something was wasn't quite right. Rachel! She couldn't get it out of her head that Rachel would be disappointed. She is still trying to reconcile her own happiness with the disappointment of someone she cares about. Our drive home was an opportunity to talk about it all. Normally we would discuss the win, but it was mostly about what had just happened. I told her that I was proud that at one of her happiest moments, she still had concern for her friend.

THANK YOU, MANTI

We want to thank Manti. We want to thank his parents, his family, his coaches, his teammates and his friends; all those who helped shape his character. As parents, it is difficult to refrain from highlighting Manti's many achievements — he is an Eagle Scout, a 3.0 student, one of nation's best high school linebackers, and as of today, the first high school athlete to ever receive the Dick Butkus Award. It is obvious that what he has achieved tonight and what he stands to achieve in the future has no limit, but would not mean as much without his strength of character.

Character. Achievement. It is 5 a.m. and I am still awake, reeling from a precious moment in our daughter's life when we got to celebrate both.

Christmas came early for all of us this year.