It was a clear autumn evening when the call came. Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, was sitting in his office at the football complex, poring over game film. The room smelled faintly of coffee and sweat, the buzz of preparation filling the air as he mentally prepared his team for the biggest rivalry of the season. His phone buzzed again. A text message. It was from her.
“Love you. Just landed. Can’t wait to see you tonight.”
It was from his wife, Amy. He’d spoken to her just a few hours before. She had been flying back from a conference in Atlanta, excited to return home. He smiled at the message, then quickly typed back, “Safe travels, babe. Can’t wait to see you.”
But minutes later, his phone rang again. This time, it wasn’t Amy. The number was unfamiliar.
“Kirby, it’s Officer Stevens. We need you to come down to the hospital. There’s been an incident.”
His stomach dropped. He felt his pulse quicken.
“What kind of incident?”
“A plane crash. We don’t have all the details yet, but we need you here.”
“Where is she? Is she okay?” His voice cracked, the words feeling heavy in his throat.
“Just get here as soon as you can,” was all the officer said before the line went dead.
Kirby barely remembered the drive. His hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles, his thoughts spinning out of control. Every scenario played in his mind, but none of them made sense. Not her. Not Amy. The woman who had stood by his side through it all. His heart, already heavy with the weight of his responsibilities, now seemed unbearable.
He arrived at the hospital, his legs stiff as he stumbled out of the car. Officer Stevens met him at the entrance, his expression grim.
“Kirby,” he began, his voice low. “I’m sorry, man. There’s no easy way to say this. Amy… she didn’t make it. The plane went down shortly after takeoff. We’re still trying to piece things together, but it’s not good.”
The words didn’t register at first. It felt like he was trapped in a bad dream, one where the world was out of focus and the floor kept shifting beneath his feet. He tried to breathe, tried to think, but nothing made sense. Amy was gone. Just like that.
The grief hit him in waves. He thought of her laugh, the way she would joke around with him after a long day of practice, the way she always knew how to calm his nerves before a big game. She was his partner, his anchor. The woman who had given him everything, even when he felt like he had nothing left to give.
The next few days were a blur. The Bulldogs’ next game, the one he had been so focused on, now seemed distant and trivial. How could he care about football when the love of his life was gone? But the world didn’t stop. The team needed him. His children needed him.
Yet, deep down, Kirby knew nothing would ever be the same. He would honor her memory, carry her with him on every sideline, in every huddle, and every victory. She would always be there, guiding him, even if he couldn’t see her anymore.
Football would never be enough. But maybe, just maybe, it was the one thing that could keep him going.
