My Favorite Athlete of All-Time: A Brother’s Tribute
I used to love March 24th every year but now I loathe it and I can’t wait for the day to be over. March 24th is my brother’s birthday. I used to love the day because I always liked to celebrate my brother. I’m a very proud older brother. He is my best friend and the strongest person I know.
Over two and half years ago my brother passed away. Not a day, hour, minute or second passes by that I don’t wish he was still here. I miss so many things about him they’re too many to list.
My brother was a gifted athlete. He excelled in youth soccer and was good enough to make the local travel team. Gregg could run like the wind down the soccer field and could kick a soccer ball pretty hard.
I remember being up in East Fishkill, NY for a travel team soccer tournament he was playing in when he was in third or fourth grade. He had to play several games a day and his team made into the championship game.
The championship game ended up being decided in a shootout and Gregg was one of the shooters for his team. To no one’s surprise he scored a goal on his penalty shot when it was his turn. I still remember that proud smile on his face when he took a team picture after his team won game.
When Gregg hit middle school he found the sports he loved the most football and lacrosse. I like to say to people these were his favorite sports because you can hit people in both sports and get away with it.
Football was Gregg’s game. The gridiron was where Gregg displayed his greatest athletic moves. He was a star running back from the first time he got to play the position. He wasn’t the biggest running back but he was very quick was able to find the smallest of holes in opposing defenses. I never missed a game he played.
When I went off to college I made my brother promise me to call me after every high school game he played on Saturday so he could tell me how he did. I looked forward to those phone calls so much. I wouldn’t go out on a Saturday night in college until I got that call from him. Being a proud brother I didn’t care if he ran for five yards or 200 yards in a game. I just loved hearing how he and his team did and also to make sure he didn’t get hurt in the game.
He loved running the ball, scoring touchdowns and celebrating victories with his best friends who were also on the teammates on the football team.
I tried to make it home from college to as many games as I could while in college. I was in Kingston, NY at Dietz Field at the semifinals of the New York State football tournament. His team lost that day but he was named the most valuable player of the game. I still have the plaque. There was a play that day when he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. I remember standing in the bleachers with my parents and the three of us jumping and screaming and hugging each other when Gregg returned that kick for a touchdown. It was one of those perfect moments in your life you can always remember. A moment in time you never wanted to end.
Writing about sports is one of my favorite things in life to do. So I thought it would be fitting to try to write a column about Gregg and sports and combine two things I love.
Sports didn’t define who my brother was but it was something he was good at and I don’t know if he realized all the joy it brought to others when he played these sports.
Writing this column was a way for me to try to celebrate March 24th one more time by sharing stories about my favorite athete.
Gregg, you were the greatest brother and I miss you and love you. Happy Birthday from your #1 fan.
Peter Gerken is a Westchester County native and has published previously with The Patent Trader and the Bronxville Review Press. While attending Boston College he was the sports editor of the university’s newspaper, The Heights, and served as a staff writer for the Boston College sports publication Eagle Action. He can be reached at pgerken@theexaminernews.com
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