Through the years as a sports columnist, I’ve often used a quote by college football icon Joe Paterno as a lead in to my musings.
“Football is a part of life, not life itself,” Paterno once said.
How true that is and how unforunate that it takes tragedy to make us remember it.
The Apalachee High School community, as well as all of Barrow County I’m sure, continues to reflect on the passing of Tony Seda, a 2009 graduate who was killed last week in a motorcycle accident in Lumpkin County. He was only 21.
Seda left a lasting mark on AHS, especially Wildcat football coach Shane Davis.
“Tony is a big part of what we have accomplished with our program,” Davis said. “He is tied for the most wins with 12 as a starting quarterback.”
The AHS coach remembers calling Seda into his office one day to tell him he wasn’t ready to be the starting quarterback. Davis said four games later Seda was the starter and would go on to help the Wildcats qualify for the state playoffs two consecutive seasons.
“He sure sums up what I want our program to be,” Davis said. “It is amazing what he was able to accomplish.”
Since graduation, Seda continued to impress those who knew him. He was a Hall County sheriff’s deputy.
Seda had worked for approximately a year in the jail division and was set to transfer to the Uniform Patrol Division. He was off duty and driving his personal motorcyle when he lost control on a curve, law enforcement reports indicated. Seda was a native of Connecticut.
Davis agrees that football, despite its ability to teach lessons, often consumes those who are involved in it.
“This event has been a slap in the face,” the coach said. “We love what we do and sometimes our emotions are up and down depending on what happens on Friday nights. This puts it all in the proper perspective. I hate it takes something like this to make us remember what’s truly important.”
Seda helped the AHS football team earn its initial playoff win.
“He just accomplished so much on the football field and off it,” Davis said. “He will always be part of our family at Apalachee. He was someone you took pride in seeing doing so well. He set an example for all of us. Events like this are tough to accept and make you appreciate everything you have even more.”
Is football important? Can the sport teach lessons about life? The answer is yes to both questions. However, football is something, even with all of its assets, that does not compare to the events of last week.
As Davis said, it’s unfortunate it takes something like Seda’s death to remind all of us of that. His life and football career will be remembered as something which helped inspire those around him. Seda’s legacy will live on due to the impact he had on anyone who ever met him.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can send comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
