When young adults come to college, they often change. They reinvent themselves, evolve, or mature into different people than they were in high school. But the interesting thing about George was that he didn't change at all during his time at Cornell. In fact, he was the same person he had been during his years in high school. Even though he didn't talk a lot, he had powerful eyes that told you what he was feeling and he had a smile that lit up the room. While he was very intense on the field, off the field George had a joyful spirit. He loved life, listening to reggae, and wearing sandals. His parents joked with him that the cold weather at Cornell would make it difficult to wear sandals but George said that even that wouldn't stop him, and it didn't.

As the years went by and our team changed, George and his leadership principles did not. He didn't speak often but when he did everyone listened. They knew if George was speaking he had something significant to say. There was no pretense about him. He was who he was. Humble, sincere, joyful, selfless, and compassionate. He had a very simple, effortless leadership style and approach. He was genuine and always put others before himself.

George always stood up for those who wouldn't stand up for themselves. If someone was teasing a team member or saying something bad about someone, George would say to knock it off. He wouldn't make the person feel bad. He would simply tell them what they were doing was wrong. He joked around but never said a bad word about anyone and wouldn't let others, either. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. He gave everything to his team but never took anything away from anyone. Friends and teammates who knew him when he was younger say he was the same way in high school.

Another practice George started in high school was to be the last person to leave the locker room. He played football, hockey, and lacrosse, and he was always the last to leave. He would clean up after everyone so the janitor didn't have to do it. It was a practice he continued in college as a freshman and throughout his time at Cornell. Whenever you walked into the locker room after practice, you knew George was going to be there. As an upperclassman, he was always the last to leave and, in doing so, he would often drive the freshmen home, knowing they had a long, cold walk ahead of them to North Campus. George always put the team first and looked for ways to serve.

One of my favorite stories is about what happened after a team dinner at a downtown restaurant during George's senior year. A bunch of freshmen needed a ride back to campus. Many of the upperclassmen had already left, so George piled all the remaining freshmen into his old black Jeep Cherokee. On the way back to campus, a cop pulled George's car over. When he approached the car and looked inside, he saw a bunch of people crammed inside and asked them all to get out. One by one the freshmen got out of the car, which took a while because there were so many. The cop laughed and was amazed that they were able to fit 12 guys in the car. But that's how George was; he was there for everyone and wouldn't leave anyone behind.