...the Husker and Spartan Nations are joined together to mourn the passing of two of our own.
By all accounts, both Sam and Mike were good young men with bright futures who represented their respective schools, programs, and families well. Mike was a true Spartan - a skilled player who was not only a difference-maker on the field, but was perhaps even more gifted academically. His offbeat sense of humor made him a favorite among his teammates and the Spartan faithful.
When I heard he had passed, I was deeply saddened. When I heard that he was not alone in passing and that the Nebraska football program was also touched by this tragedy, I was even more deeply affected. Some of you may recall Mike from his Twitter exchanges with "Faux Pelini" a few years ago, which illustrated his sense of humor and cemented the connection between Mike and Nebraska football in the minds of Spartan football fans. Many of us will always think of that when we think of Mike. He was a one of a kind.
I read in an article this afternoon that Sam's high school coach characterized him with the term "uncommon"; it seems that characterized both young men, even as their love of football brought them together in their last days.
My deepest and most sincere sympathies to the Husker nation and to Sam's family, friends, and teammates in this time of loss. May God grant all touched by the tragedy peace, and may the Husker program find strength in the days ahead to pull together and move forward, united in purpose in the memory of their teammate.
By all accounts, both Sam and Mike were good young men with bright futures who represented their respective schools, programs, and families well. Mike was a true Spartan - a skilled player who was not only a difference-maker on the field, but was perhaps even more gifted academically. His offbeat sense of humor made him a favorite among his teammates and the Spartan faithful.
When I heard he had passed, I was deeply saddened. When I heard that he was not alone in passing and that the Nebraska football program was also touched by this tragedy, I was even more deeply affected. Some of you may recall Mike from his Twitter exchanges with "Faux Pelini" a few years ago, which illustrated his sense of humor and cemented the connection between Mike and Nebraska football in the minds of Spartan football fans. Many of us will always think of that when we think of Mike. He was a one of a kind.
I read in an article this afternoon that Sam's high school coach characterized him with the term "uncommon"; it seems that characterized both young men, even as their love of football brought them together in their last days.
My deepest and most sincere sympathies to the Husker nation and to Sam's family, friends, and teammates in this time of loss. May God grant all touched by the tragedy peace, and may the Husker program find strength in the days ahead to pull together and move forward, united in purpose in the memory of their teammate.
