It is undeniably one of the most horrific situation a parent could ever experience and Tampa Bay kicker Matt Bryant had to go through it in front of millions of strangers.
If you tuned into the final minutes of the Green Bay/Tampa Bay game yesterday you might have choked back the waterworks watching the pro football player wipe tears from his eyes and blow a kiss towards the heavens, in tribute to his baby boy.
Less than 24 hours prior to kicking his third field goal against the Packers, Bryant and his wife Melissa buried their 3-month-old son. Matthew Tryson (the family called him by his middle name), the youngest of the Bryant’s six children, was found dead at home in Tampa last Wednesday. It will be several weeks before the star athlete and his wife learn the specific cause of their baby’s death, but early accounts speculate that the boy died from SIDS.
According to news reports, law enforcement officials say there was nothing suspicious about the death and quoted Melissa as saying that she was getting the kids ready for school Wednesday morning and when she went to wake Tryson she found him unresponsive.
Imagine how you would respond in the same situation.
The words “unimaginable pain,” “gut-wrenching,” “earth-shattering” and “tortuous” come to my mind.
Then, consider what Bryant did yesterday. The 33-year-old grieving father not only showed up for work he booted three field goals (including a 24-yarder, with 2:26 to go) to help the Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers 30-21.
“The biggest thing for me, I wanted to honor Tryson’s name,” Bryant told reporters following the game. “I mean, I don’t think it was very fair for his life to end so short. This is the best way I believe I could get out and honor him. I miss him and wish he was here, but he was here with me. He helped out.”
That he did. Tryson’s dad had a perfect day (in regards to his kicking game). After his final field goal the impact of what he had accomplished overcame Bryant, who let the tears flow. In front of a stadium full of people and millions of others watching on TV Bryant wiped tears from his eyes, then touched his lips and blew a kiss to the sky offering thanks to his little boy.
“Today was his day. It was all about Tryson for me,” Bryant told reporters. “I talked with him, personally, in my head throughout the game. I just wanted to remind him that he’s my baby boy and that he’s with me all the time.”
I should note that according to Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, Bryant was told by the entire Buccaneer organization that it would be perfectly understandable if he decided to sit out the game. Bryant told the media that he felt it was important to play even though his heart was broken.
Did you see the game? As a parent I can’t see how Bryant was not only able to show up on Sunday, but also perform the way he did. Can you?
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