Bryan Pata was buried today. Above is a shot of his teammates arriving at Tuesday’s church service. Over 2,.500 mourners packed the New Birth Cathedral of Faith yesterday to honor Bryan.
Friends, family, teammates and folks in the community who felt a connection to this larger than life kid – they all showed up and all had the same question, “why?”
I don’t really know what else to say here. For once, I’m at a loss for words. Pata was murdered a week ago and it feels like a year’s gone by. The more time that passes, the more it seems to hurt. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
Just thinking about all this feels like a punch to the gut. This was so senseless. A good kid with a bright future was taken. A kid who played football, not out of love for the game – but love for his family. He was their ticket to a better life. He knew this and he shouldered the responsibility with pride.
His family was living vicariously through him and when he was buried today, their dreams died as well. I can’t think of anything more tragic.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Pata family, his friends, coaches and teammates.