Students Send Michigan Football Player Letters of Support After He Was Told to 'Quit the Team' Following A Dropped Pass

A fifth-grade class in Michigan decided to write letters of encouragement to a football player from the University of Michigan who was sent a malicious email following a game.

The player, wide receiver Ronnie Bell, was sent the email after he dropped a game-tying pass in the school's 21-21 loss to Penn State on Saturday. The email was sent to Bell from another Michigan student, identified as Connor Grady. The message went viral after Bell's father, Aaron Bell, shared it on social media.

"Please quit the team already. Utterly sad that my tuition goes to paying for the scholarship for such a scrub a** player like you. Bum a**. Go play basketball somewhere. Please do us all a favor and never play football again," Grady said in his email to Bell.

When sharing the message to Facebook, Aaron Bell took aim at those criticizing his son, writing, "People, if you have anything to say about the last offensive play DIRECTED at my son, please talk to me. I'll be more than happy to sit down and talk PARENT TO FAN."

Aaron Bell did not appear to know who sent his son the email, adding that if anyone reading his post knew who composed the letter should encourage the sender to message him so they could go to lunch and talk. "These kids are playing hard as hell. No reason to reach out and talk like this. You are extremely childish for this. So please contact me, we can sit down PARENT to FAN!!," Aaron wrote.

Bethany Tomasek, a former Michigan student and Wolverines fan, saw the email and realized she could use it as a teaching tool for her students at Huntington Elementary School.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Tomasek set up a "kindness board, where students can write each other notes" in her classroom. Her fifth-grade class is also currently reading a book titled Wonder, "and the whole theme of the book is, we choose kind," she told the newspaper.

Tomasek held a class discussion focusing on mistakes and how her students can grow from them. Afterward, the students wrote letters of encouragement to Bell, but are still in the process of sending them to him.

"Don't listen to people on the internet. I think you are very good at sports!" said one student.

"WR is a very hard position. Put your past behind you and focus on the future don't listen to the haters," wrote another student.

The email also sparked many reactions across social media.

"In support of Ronnie Bell, whoever is going to the game this weekend on his 1^st catch of the game everyone should stand up and cheer show him that we got his back no matter what," said one twitter user.

NFL insider, Rich Eisen tweeted "Hey Ronnie Bell – keep your chin up! Lots more football to be played and lots more mountains to peak! All part of the journey #GoBlue"

Grady has since apologized to Bell for the email.

"I have privately apologized to Mr. Bell, and I have also apologized publicly to the Bell family," Grady said when reached by the Associated Press. "I am deeply sorry to have brought shame and embarrassment to the Michigan community, and I hope that the community can forgive me for such unbecoming behavior."