Learning of Life through Death
Patrick Daly
Tuesday April 12, 2005
It’s ironic that it often takes a death to remind us about life.
Last year, it was the death of former Arizona Cardinal and Arizona State University standout Pat Tillman that reminded us how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, even against the longest odds. Now, Lucas’ death should remind us of the impermanence of life. It should remind us that it is often fleeting and that it can be taken away at any time. Time is precious, particularly when you don’t know how much you might have, so live it with passion. At the age of 26, when life has really just begun for most, Lucas saw his life ended on the field of play, leaving his wife De’Shonda, daughter Mariah and the remainder of his family to carry on after his passing.
This coming week, you will see the courage of Lucas’ Avenger teammates when they next take the field knowing that one of their own has fallen. They played the majority of the second half of Sunday’s game against the New York Dragons knowing only that Lucas had sustained a serious injury, and it wasn’t until after the game that the players learned of what had happened. Football players step on the field every day knowing that injuries, sometimes career-ending, are a part of the game, but I suspect that some will find it hard to forget what happened on Sunday, and that will take even more courage to continue.
It seems clear from the outpouring of sentiment from Lucas’ current and former teammates and coaches that he was a man with a big heart that made a lasting impression on many people and that despite his success he never forgot where he came from. He played with passion on the field and shared that passion off the field. The former Carolina Panther and Troy State Trojan defensive lineman served as a football coach during the offseason at the high school where he starred and will certainly be missed there as well.
In time, life will move on as it needs to do and Lucas’ daughter will learn more about her father from the stories told by family and friends, which is one way his life will carry. My hope is that his death will encourage the rest of us to live life as fully as possible, not waiting for tomorrow when today is already here.
Life is too short to take for granted, so don’t.
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
