Two weeks ago, I was involved in a serious accident when my girlfriend and I woke up in the middle of the night to a loud crash right outside our bedroom window. Waking up in an unconscious sleep trance, I instinctively started punching the window out of fight or flight mode thinking someone was breaking in. I wound up tearing a main artery, losing 4 liters of blood, suffering severe nerve damage, and had to be helivaced to the nearest trauma center. I've started the recovery process, but needless to say, I feel fortunate to still be alive.
Upon hearing the news, a close friend of mine sent a mass email to about 15 folks in the UGA athletic department asking what they could do to raise the spirits of a diehard Dawg fan who had just suffered a severe injury. Within a day, none other than Mark Fox himself called my friend on his personal cell phone asking if I was well enough to talk and receive a call. He did include the caveat that he was busy recruiting so it may be a few days before he'd have time. This was BEFORE the Pape Diatta commit.
On the morning of Thursday, April 21, I heard my phone ring with an unknown 706 area code number calling me. I could not have been more shocked to hear Coach Fox's voice on the other line! We had a solid 5 to 6 minute conversation about my health, my time at UGA, what I do for a living now, and how I still make it back to Athens for a couple of games a year. I was honestly too shocked to ask him many questions, although he did seem impressed that I was aware of the previous day's Diatta commit after I congratulated him on the pickup. Overall, I was absolutely blown away over how sincere he seemed. He clearly made it seem like the phone call to a stranger was not an obligation, genuinely wishing me a speedy recovery and thanking me for my loyal support for the hoop Dawgs.
Like a lot of us on here, I have at times been frustrated with not being able to take the program to the next level, but his phone call combined with how genuine he seemed has led me to see Coach Fox in a whole new light. Here's hoping we can get that elusive NCAA tourney game win or two soon. For me personally, it would mean even more for such an honorable man to lead our program to such an achievement.
Upon hearing the news, a close friend of mine sent a mass email to about 15 folks in the UGA athletic department asking what they could do to raise the spirits of a diehard Dawg fan who had just suffered a severe injury. Within a day, none other than Mark Fox himself called my friend on his personal cell phone asking if I was well enough to talk and receive a call. He did include the caveat that he was busy recruiting so it may be a few days before he'd have time. This was BEFORE the Pape Diatta commit.
On the morning of Thursday, April 21, I heard my phone ring with an unknown 706 area code number calling me. I could not have been more shocked to hear Coach Fox's voice on the other line! We had a solid 5 to 6 minute conversation about my health, my time at UGA, what I do for a living now, and how I still make it back to Athens for a couple of games a year. I was honestly too shocked to ask him many questions, although he did seem impressed that I was aware of the previous day's Diatta commit after I congratulated him on the pickup. Overall, I was absolutely blown away over how sincere he seemed. He clearly made it seem like the phone call to a stranger was not an obligation, genuinely wishing me a speedy recovery and thanking me for my loyal support for the hoop Dawgs.
Like a lot of us on here, I have at times been frustrated with not being able to take the program to the next level, but his phone call combined with how genuine he seemed has led me to see Coach Fox in a whole new light. Here's hoping we can get that elusive NCAA tourney game win or two soon. For me personally, it would mean even more for such an honorable man to lead our program to such an achievement.
