When working out, instead of doing 15 or 20 reps, I do 21. Instead of running 15- or 20-second sprints, I run 21-second sprints. Instead of running on the treadmill for 15 minutes, I run for 15 minutes and 21 seconds. Every time I have the opportunity to see the number 21, I take it. Every time I see the number 21, I think of George Boiardi. For me, 21 is not a number—it's a way of life.

If I could meet two people in the world, I would choose George Boiardi and Eamon McEneaney (who wore number 10 on his jersey). Eamon was another Cornell lacrosse legend; he died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Believe it or not, growing up I wore three numbers in sports: 10, 21, and 3. The number 3, my number at Cornell, doesn't belong in the same sentence as 10 and 21, but I could not have been in a more fitting situation than playing for the Cornell lacrosse program, where those numbers carry such enormous weight and tremendous honor. Unfortunately, I never met George, but I feel as if he has been a teammate and leader to me during my five years at Cornell and is now a friend helping me through my everyday life.

Rarely does a day go by when I don't see the clock strike 10:21. That's no coincidence; it's just George and Eamon checking in. I will never forget scoring to put Cornell up 1–0 in the 2013 semifinal against Duke. The game clock stopped and read 10:21. I looked at our sideline and pointed to the clock. Everyone was looking at me, yelling and thinking I was crazy, but they soon realized I was trying to say that George was there with us, just as he is every other day. Without 21, Cornell Lacrosse is not Cornell Lacrosse, and I'm not the player and, more importantly, the person who I am today. George didn't help us beat Duke that day, because that wasn't what George was all about—but he had made us better people and teammates, and that carried us through a successful season.

According to the record books, I hold the Cornell Lacrosse record for most assists. The real truth is that George Boiardi does. George has gotten an assist for every single practice, weight session, film session, ground ball, goal assist, win, and on and on, since his freshman year at Cornell—and he still does, because without his number 21, none of those experiences would have been the same. The emotion, the effort, the intensity, the focus, the love made all the difference. The number 21 is a way of life. Selfless, loving, caring, tireless, humble, dedicated. These words define George Boiardi. George Boiardi defines Cornell Lacrosse.