11-year-old football player dons a tie to honor team’s water boy

Childhood apraxia of speech makes it difficult for 6-year-old Danny Keefe to talk, but the 6-year-old from Bridgewater, Mass., has an infectious personality and he certainly has style — he wears a suit and necktie every day, by choice. Still, his problems forming words and those threads can make him an easy target for cruel barbs from unthinking kids, but he’s not without friends. One of them is Tommy Cooney, quarterback on the Badgers Div. 5 Peewees, for whom Danny serves as “official water coach.” So the fifth grader put on a suit himself and launched “Danny Appreciation Day” at school, and no fewer than 40 other students joined in. “He’s such a good person,” said Tommy. “He doesn’t let it bother him. He goes on with his day. He’s a 6-year-old kid. We should all respect that.” Danny certainly appreciated all his fellow sharp dressers. “This is the best day ever,” he said