Several years after my conversation with Jeff, I decided to attend the annual 21 Dinner in New York City. Hundreds of George's former teammates, friends, and family members gathered to support the Mario St. George Boiardi Foundation, which was founded by his friends and teammates. I didn't know exactly why I decided to attend, but felt I was supposed to be there.

The dinner was held in late January and a snowstorm hit the western Virginia area where I had a speaking engagement the day of the 21 Dinner. After the event that morning, I walked outside to heavy snowfall and found out that my flight to New York had been canceled. I had a choice. I could wait out the storm or find another way to get there. As fate would have it, the president of the company that had invited me to speak was also heading to New York. He pulled up in the back of a taxi headed to Washington, DC, where we could take a train to New York. I hopped in and we drove 182 miles, with our incredible driver, Samad, through a snowstorm on icy, unplowed roads, avoiding a few accidents along the way, to arrive just in time to make the last train to New York.

On the train, I thought a lot about George and wondered what was it about him that inspired his teammates so deeply. I wondered if my friends would be affected the same way if I had died on the same field as George. Would hundreds be gathering for a dinner years later to support my foundation? Would a program have been transformed because of me? The honest answer was no. I wasn't the kind of teammate George was. I was a hard worker and I hustled, but at 18, 19, 20 years old, I was more concerned about myself than others. There were times I didn't give 100 percent. I didn't practice as much as I should have. I wasn't always consistent and didn't always lead by example. I wondered exactly what George had done, besides what Jeff shared, that made him such a great teammate.

After arriving in New York I took a cab to the 21 Dinner and arrived with a few hours left. I was thankful that I had made it. I didn't think I would, but I had to try because George would have. As I walked into the gathering, I realized that even though I had never met George, he was making me a better person. No wonder he had such an impact on the people he knew.

For the last few hours of the event, I sought out his teammates and friends and discovered more details about how he impacted the people he spent time with most. I learned what made George such a great teammate and, in doing so, I wanted to share those characteristics with others, like you. I can't change my past or change the kind of teammate I was, but by teaching you about George, I can help you create your future by helping you be a better teammate today. George's mom told me that while George didn't get a chance to fulfill his dream of being a teacher, he continues to teach others through the way he lived his life.

Although none of us will ever be Mario St. George Boiardi, we can learn from him and strive to be more like him. I believe that George was one of the greatest teammates to ever have lived, and serves as a model and teacher for all of us.