WATCH: ESPN highlights charitable efforts of Penn State’s Charlie Shuman

To some people, Charlie Shuman is viewed as an intimidating figure. The 6-foot-8, 325 pound Penn State offensive lineman has a pretty menacing frame. But to Maiya Colón and her family, Shuman is a gentle giant.

Shuman, a fifth-year senior, has a unique bond with the Colón family. After learning that Maiya was born seven weeks premature and battles a rare condition, he set up a charity, “Big Helping Little,” to help assist the family in 2014. Since then, Maiya and Shuman have been inseparable.

Earlier this year, Maiya was on hand to help deliver a special message to Shuman. The senior lineman was put on scholarship by head coach James Franklin. It was an incredible moment in the offseason.

Now, ESPN ran a feature on Maiya, Shuman and their special bond. And it’s a truly incredible story. The video of the SportsCenter feature can be viewed below.

Heart of a Lion: #PennState OL @BigCShu71 started "Big Helping Little" when he met Maiya & the Colón family in 2014. Take a look at their journey together in this SportsCenter feature. #WeAre pic.twitter.com/2Dqx594ZGZ

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) October 5, 2018

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB