Jaguars safety Nick Sorensen, guard Dan Connolly and long-snapper Joe Zelenka left their tough-guy exteriors on the field and opened their hearts to the kids at Wolfson Children's Hospital recently.

A father of an 18-year-old boy who is staying in the hospital expressed to the players how much it meant to him and his family that the players chatted and visited with his son; he could not thank the players enough for coming by.

"My son is a huge Jaguars fan. The first thing my son said to me this morning was could I go buy him a newspaper. He told me he wanted to read up on the Jaguars news after the big game they had this past weekend," the father said. "And for the guys to take time out of their day and visit with my son means the world to him and my family."

The players went to several rooms visiting with patients. They shared stories, laughed and played with stuffed animals in some of the rooms they visited. The visit and the experience left an impression on the players as they left the hospital.

"It was very tough to see the children like this. It just seems so undeserving," said Sorensen. "It humbles you to see that they can smile and be happy even though they have something that is very difficult to deal with. It was fun to be here and to know that we can affect them in a positive way."

This particular Tuesday afternoon was a memorable one for several of the young patients of the hospital, and it was just as meaningful for the players who visited.