Dear D. Reed,
We still miss you down here, Moe. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since you’ve been gone. I’ll never forget the day we lost you. I hadn’t cried for 10 years, but the day you passed, I cried like a baby. That went on for a few days.
It was hard to have you gone so suddenly. As teammates, we did everything together, from morning workouts, school, practice, training table, to study table. It felt like anything I did was just a constant reminder that you weren’t here anymore. We lost you the day before our game. I didn’t think we’d play the next day, but we did. That was the toughest game I ever played in.
Every time we huddled up on offense, it was just another reminder that you weren’t here anymore. I still had to honor you in the best way that I could, and the best way that you’d appreciate. I put up 250 rushing yards and a TD on Ohio. That was all for you. We still lost by 28 points, though LOL.
You were always a leader and had a big impact on our team, but it wasn’t until you passed that it was really shown. We were all heartbroken, bro. You were really loved and admired. Some took your loss tougher than others. That was hard to see but understandable.
I’ll never forget first meeting you and D. Scott. Y’all were me and TA’s suite mates. I figured they put us all together because we were from Grand Rapids and Lansing, and y’all were from Chicago. Like anybody else from Chicago, all y’all talked about a lot was Chicago LOL. You showed TA and me the rappers y’all liked at the time. Y’all were big on King Louie back then. And Lil Durk before he blew up. Can’t forget about Chief Keef.
Y’all pretty much turned Eastern into a Chicago football team LOL. We all talked like you, we started to use your slang, and in some ways, we even started to act like you. We still do. That just shows the impact you had on our lives and how much influence you have.
You were a dog on the field too. You had the most confidence, and you backed it up. As a freshman, you would always tell us, “I ain’t gonna be here for 4 years. I’m going to the league after Junior year.” That was crazy to say, coming out of Eastern Michigan, but you really believed it, and I did too. One of our last conversations was during the season, Junior year. I had a good sophomore season, and the junior season was going alright for me too. I was really considering entering the NFL draft after the season. I said to you, “We still going to the league after this season?” You told me, “Nah, I’m staying. I promised my mom I would get my degree.” That was one of the realest things you said to me and was a big reason why I decided to come back my senior year. I was sad after losing you and really just wanted to spend another year with the guys. I knew I had to get that degree for my mom too.
I understand that all blessings are temporary, so instead of being sad about you being gone, I appreciate all the time that we did get to spend together. I wish you didn’t have to leave us at such a young age, but they say once we serve our purpose on earth, God calls us home. You definitely served, bro. You left a permanent impact on all of our lives. You even left a permanent impact on the university we attended.
You were a true leader. You inspired, motivated, competed, and had a lot of charisma. You were a God-fearing man and always professed your faith in Him. I pray you continue to rest in peace and that we continue to grow, succeed, and make you proud down here. Keep watching over us.
Love always,
B. Hill
FLY, BLACK BOY 