TYLER, Texas — On Saturday, we learned of the tragically unexpected passing of Pittsburg Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins who was just 24 years old.
He was struck by a dump truck, attempting to cross four lanes on a busy Florida highway.
That brings us to an even bigger question, how do we cope with a loss of a star athlete, so unexpected with so much life ahead of them?
Here in East Texas, a few athletes didn't make it to see the age of 24.
“When you're young, it seems so distant and so far away from you," Gilmer head coach Alan Metzel said. "You feel invincible, and all of a sudden it's on your doorstep. You just got to kind of rally the troops and be there. I think that's as much as important as anything is just be there and be steady.”
Metzel is no stranger to the feeling associated with the sudden loss of Dwayne Haskins.
In 2014, Gilmer lost one of their own. Stud receiver Desmond Pollard passed away unexpectedly in his junior season, leaving behind family, friends, teammates and coaches.
“Once the memorials start happening and the funeral, we let down as coaches during that time, with the kids," Metzel said. "We hurt with them. I would say, potentially deeper, you know, because of what we're trying to invest into these kids and knowing what is ahead for them. With Desmond, what we were hoping for him in his future and so forth. So there's an ache there that that even resides there to this day.”
Just this past February, Alto star player Devonte Mumphrey collapsed on the basketball court. He later died.
When a loss like this happens, parents often find themselves questioning how to help their kids in the grieving process. It's a topic licensed therapist Jasmine Cobb sees firsthand.
“It's all about doing it together, it becomes more normalized that way," Cobb said. "Not just with words, it's going to have to be shown through action that we're actually in this together. Crying is a simple action. Again, it normalizes because, you know, with tears there's a connotation that that's a sign of weakness. It's actually a sign of strength. It's actually a sign of love.”
It's a sign of love that Cobb believes action can truly nurture a healthy healing environment.
“A good way to memorialize the person that we lost is just by what they're doing, honoring dedicating time, occasions to that person to continue that bond," Cobb said. "And again, it really gives the opportunity to come together as a community as opposed to one person trying to figure out what they're going to do or how they're going to do it alone. You really get the chance to do it together.”