Tre Boston had a random encounter with a man at a gas station asking for money, and the ensuing conversation convinced Boston to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The story Boston told isn’t exactly a homeless man telling Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Johnny Manziel, but Boston’s reason for picking the Chargers in free agency is unusual.

Boston, a safety, was a free agent after the Carolina Panthers cut him. Boston said he couldn’t decide between the Chargers and Buffalo Bills. He was back home in Charlotte, and cut across two lanes of traffic to hit a gas station because the price there had dropped from $3.29 to $3.10 a gallon. And as he was pumping gas, a man with three kids approached him asking for change. Boston said he gave him a $20.

“He says, ‘Thank you so much,’ and he’s telling me God put me in his life for a reason, and in my mind I’m saying, ‘You’re here for a reason too,'” Boston said when he met with Chargers reporters.

Boston said he was contemplating asking the stranger, “L.A. or Buffalo?”

“Before I could say it, my man told me, ‘Thank you so much, there [aren’t many] people like you in this world. God’s children.’ He said, ‘My name is Mike Daniels, but people call me L.A.'” Boston said.

“When he said ‘L.A.,’ honestly I started crying.”

Boston said he went to his car for a tissue, and then he saw a card that said “Jesus saves” on a pillar at the gas station.

“So now I’m like, ‘You know what, if I didn’t think it was Jesus now, I know this is God,” Boston said.

Boston said he ended up speaking with Daniels for a half hour and ended up giving Daniels $100 because he said Daniels changed his life. Boston thought the chance encounter wasn’t random. Boston not only cut across two lanes to the cheap gas station when he still had half a tank, it turned out Daniels unknowingly pulled into a pump that was out of service and next to Boston. You can see why Boston would think this meeting was divine intervention.

“Honestly, that’s the reason I’m here,” Boston said. “It didn’t matter how much money was given to me. It didn’t matter really who was on the team, it just happened to be a great fit. But God told me come here. That’s my testimony, and I’m here.”

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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