Devastated Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh has come out of hiding, after he missed a potential winning 27-yard kick during Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card playoff game.

His tiniest of fans welcomed him with open arms.

First-graders at Northpoint Elementary wrote supportive letters to Walsh, as part of an assignment on empathy.

>>Kids try to cheer up Blair Walsh after epic field goal fail

According to The Associated Press, Walsh was touched by the children’s actions, saying he’ll cherish the letters forever.

Walsh visited the school on Thursday, meeting with students and signing autographs. He told the kids that he takes “accountability and ownership” for his errant kick.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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