There might not have been a dry eye in the house when Carolina Panthers quarterback Taylor Heinicke discussed his dad during a Thursday press conference.
Heinicke’s father, Brett, passed away during his freshman year at Old Dominion, and he took a moment to talk about the memory of his dad ahead of his first NFL start.
“He was my best friend. I would say he was like the best father. He did everything for me. That hit hard. That’s all I’m going to say about it right now,” the dual-threat QB told the media as he appeared to fight back tears. (RELATED: Here Are The Best Moments From Week 15 Of The NFL Season)
He also added that his dad would be at every game no matter where it was, and he was the man responsible for the success of Taylor’s football career.
Grab a box of tissues and watch the emotional video below.
.@Taylor_Heinicke’s dad passed away his freshman year of college. With his first career start in the NFL, he imagines his dad would be proud pic.twitter.com/lchmecqLJo
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 20, 2018
Damn, is it a little dusty in here right now or is it just me? I’ve been a fan of Heinicke’s game ever since he was at ODU, but I had no idea that his father had died years ago.
I think it’s safe to say that a vast majority of young men strive to make their dads proud. It’s just human nature. It’s wired into our DNA for most of us.
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Now, Heinicke is about to play in the biggest football game of his life Sunday against the Falcons, and I have no doubt his dad is watching from up above.
After seeing the young QB’s emotions when discussing his dad, I’d go ahead and recommend taking the Panthers by about a million. I hope Taylor goes out there and absolutely balls out for his dad.