NFL Network grants Naples 7th grader’s wish

Reporter: Jennifer Jones
Published: Updated:

NAPLES, Fla.- The NFL Network partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make the wish of a Collier County seventh grader come true as a sports broadcaster.

Alex Mesa was born with a congenital heart defect, but he’s not letting that get in the way of his dreams.

“That was so much fun that I had, it was just amazing.”

Mesa was all suited up as he sat on the NFL GameDay desk Sunday morning as the sixth man.

“It was really cool because I got to see all behind the scenes stuff, because on TV, you see like four or five guys, but really behind the cameras there is like 50 guys there working, so that was pretty cool.”

Mesa joined the cast of two different shows, picking the teams he thought would win and even showed off some of his dance moves.

“Everybody there is, you know, dedicated. Everybody likes the game, so I can actually talk to people who know football and it was pretty cool.”

 

The die-hard Miami Dolphins fan has already been through two open heart surgeries, and soon he’ll undergo a third.

“I feel energized, but good. But when I’m running, it’s sort of hard to keep up with other kids.”

The seventh grader adds, “to every disadvantage, there’s an advantage,” and says he’s looking forward to the future. He even has his favorite sportscaster, Rich Eisen, encouraging him.

“He was like, ‘give me a heads up when you want to take my job!'”

Challenge accepted.

Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.