Dom was a leader. I wasn’t someone who really talked a lot back in high school so a lot of time I spent observing, and even learning from him on the football field. What I saw from Dom was he was always smiling, laughing with his friends, dancing. There were even times he’d give me words of encouragement when no one else did. I didn’t expect that, but never forgot it. Although football is a competitive sport and we played the same position, I always found myself rooting for him. He wasn’t the typical star athlete, and full of himself. He was always humble no matter how much success he saw, and he was still confident if he tasted failure. He also instilled that same confidence into others, that’s what made him a leader. Lifting others up, elevating them. The memory I always think back to is our senior football photo shoot, even though we may not have been the closest of friends, or I may not have been the most approachable person, he didn’t hesitate to take a silly photo with me. It may be a small thing to most people, but for me It meant a lot. It was symbolic of how in our final season, all of us seniors were in it together, in this life together. Although all of our lives have taken us in completely different directions, those precious years are something we can never get back. They were so pivotal in making us who we are today, and I’ll never forget them. I’ll never forget Dom, I’ll never forget watching some of the amazing plays he made, I’ll never forget him encouraging me, I’ll never forget those 6 years of growing up. To his family, his mom, his dad, Vinny and Marco, me and mine will keep all of you in our prayers. God bless all of you, and thank you for giving this world the light that was Dom.
