Death Defying: Stars Who Deal with the Ultimate Loss.

For anyone that’s dealt with the death of a family member, they know what it’s like.  However, has that family member ever had to go and play a game of football 24 hours after the death of their father or son?  I think not.

 

One man has though, well two actually, Brett Favre and Matt Bryant.  For those of you thinking, who the heck is Matt Bryant?  He is the current starting Kicker of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who tragically lost his son earlier this season.  The first guy I mentioned, every football fan is familiar with.  He is the warrior, the ruthless No.4.  The guy that has revolutionized the Quarterback position, and holds the record for the Most Career Touchdown Passes.

 

 

 

 

That right there is the guy that we all know on the field.  But when Favre lost his father in 2003, he was a completely different guy off the field.  When being asked in an interview shortly after his fathers death and his success in the following Monday Night Football Game, he said “There was a moment before the game where I nearly sat out and not played.  I then thought of my father, and knew that he would have wanted me to play”.  “Harden up he would’ve said, get out there and give em’ hell!”. 

 

What Brett did that night would have made his father proud, as he overcame adversity and showed more courage than any other man on the field.  Not only did he rack the score up to an impressive 41-7 win, he topped himself by pointing to the skies and thanking his father.  Many Packer fans in particular believe that Favre’s performance that night was more of a tribute, rather than a football game.

 

From No. 4 to No.3.  Matt Bryant, the former NFL Europe Kicker for the Frankfurt Galaxy, who was then traded to come and play for a young Buccaneers team and do what he does best. 

 

Forget what you’ve read about this guy.  He’s been through a lot.  Earlier this season he lost his 3 Year old son Matthew Tryson to an almost unpredictable disorder known as SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).  To top it all off, the Bucs were a lousy 0-8, and Bryant was on a team that was showing no promise whatsoever.  Following his sons death that came in Week 9 of the season, the schedule had the Bucs to meet up with the Green Bay Packers in a home game at Raymond James Stadium. 

 

The game was surprisingly one sided, as the Packers offense failed to execute, and the Bucs defense showed up and sacked Aaron Rodgers 6 Times and then went on to win in the late stages of the 4^th quarter.

 

As devastating as this was for not only me and my fellow Packer fans (Who actually thought we were going to the Super Bowl this season), it felt good to see a guy fresh off attending his sons funeral, to kick three Field Goals in a game, and get a win.

 

When losing my father, it was a hard thing to overcome.  Although I never had to go out and play an hour of football the night after.  When the lights come on, these players play it tough.  They cross their arms and bark out plays, but one thing will always remain important to them, and that’s their family.

 

Heck, we’ve even seen T.O cry on the occasion, but that was because the Cowboys were dying, not his ego.