The Long-Lost Letterman Jacket

And a surprise reunion after almost 30 years

- By Sarah Chassé

IN THE FALL of 1993, high school senior Jed Mottley seemed to have it all. He was the starting wide receiver on Chaparral High School’s varsity football team, in addition to playing soccer and running track. In his spare time, he hung out with friends and noodled around on his guitar, influenced by his musician older brother. But despite Jed’s big smile and outgoing personality, the Scottsdale, Arizona, teen was hiding parts of his home life from classmates.

“I really enjoyed my high school experience,” the now-49-year-old says. “I loved my teammates. But I also grew up with a lot of kids whose parents had a lot of money, and I was kind of the poor kid. I was embarrassed about everything.”

At home, Jed’s mom, Gerry Mottley, had been raising him and his brother, Josh Mottley, on her own. She worked a variety of jobs—including as a personal assistant and at the fast-food chain Jack in the Box—but putting food on the table and the rent check in the mail was tough.

“As a young kid, it wasn’t easy,” Jed recalls. “It was such a roller coaster ride.”

Despite the family’s struggles, Jed describes his mom as loving, artistic, and dedicated to her faith and her kids. And so, of course, Gerry didn’t want her younger son to miss out on a rite of passage for any varsity athlete: getting his letterman jacket.

“I remember being at the jacket shop with my mom, and I’m designing it myself,” he says of the jacket— bright red and gold for the Chaparral Firebirds, with his name and letter proudly displayed on the front.