When I asked George's teammates if they had died on the field that day instead of George would there have been the same response and impact, every one of them said emphatically, “No, definitely not.” I told them I felt the same way about myself as a teammate. Yet on this day, many of them came from different areas of the country and the world to be at George's Hall of Fame induction. David Coors flew to Ithaca from Australia, and was flying right back after the event. Chris Viola came for the induction and afterward had to turn around and head right back to the restaurants he owns in New York City. Tim Kirchner flew in from San Francisco. Others gave up their weekends and time with family, friends, and kids to be there. They may not have been the kind of teammates George was in college, but 10 years later they were being selfless, serving, and sacrificing—10 years later he was still making them better.

That night Jeff Tambroni delivered an inspirational, emotional, tear-jerking speech about George. He had to stop numerous times to gather himself and wipe the tears from his eyes, face, and notes. It was one of the most meaningful and powerful speeches I have ever heard, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Jeff is no longer the lacrosse coach at Cornell. He now coaches the men's lacrosse team at Penn State University. He didn't take the hard hat with him, but he takes George's spirit, example, and inspiration wherever he goes. He will always be George's coach and George will always be a part of him.

As Jeff and I left the event and walked outside to our cars, I asked him where he was staying. It was midnight and, since he was leaving, I figured, like me, he was staying at a hotel near campus. Jeff said, “Actually I'm driving to Philadelphia right now. There's a recruiting tournament in the Philly area and I have to be at the fields at 8 a.m. I'll drive as far as I can and get a few hours sleep, then get to where I need to be in the morning.” I did the math: four to five hours of driving meant two to three hours of sleep. Not to mention that Jeff had driven to Cornell that day to give his speech. I was blown away. I couldn't believe he had sacrificed like that, but Jeff had to be there. So did David Coors, Tim Kirchner, Ben DeLuca, and so many of George's teammates. They wouldn't have missed it. George would have done the same.