Chad and I had grown up in the greater Brownsboro area. I can remember him coming to stay over at my house when we were kids to go fishing at my lake or to get ready for a early morning trip to La tech for a power lifting meet. I Also, remember the smell from his shoes was so bad it filled my tiny home up. Mom would make sure to take his shoes outside after that. Looking back, I had fond memories of traveling to power lifting competitions or both staying at the school gym trying to improve our max lifts with Coach Risko. I don’t need to tell you the drive he had to be the best version of himself as an athlete. I remember how he looked up to his older brother Eric and would always have a story about him. I was lucky enough to get to become friends with Eric in my later years and could see why he loved his older brother so much. I could see why he pushed himself to work so hard on in the gym or at being our middle linebacker. He could turn that switch on when it was game time and a fierce look in his eye would make the hair on your neck stand up and you knew he was ready to hurt someone. No surprise he would go on to play one of my favorite sport in rugby for West Point. He was a tough kid and didn’t mind a scrap. In fact, one of the best fights I remember seeing in high school involved Chad. I was there in the lunchroom when he bumped into a guy (no need to mention his name) sitting down as Chad was trying to get by. This kid did not take it well and next thing I know they are broken up by one of the teachers and fellow classmates. However, it did not end there. As anyone knows from Brownsboro that if it wasn’t settled during school then up to Jennings mountain after school we would go. It was a good fight at first, but Chad showed he grew up with brothers two of which were older and tough as they come. He Could fight better than most at his age and when he delivered a knee to that kids face breaking his nose you could hear the gasp from the crowd. All those years growing up and still my best memory of Chad was to come years later. I was hired as an EMS civilian contractor to help run a CSH “cash” right after I got my training. I was to go to Kuwait, then to Tel Aviv for a short while and then to Iraq. Chad was one of two old classmates from Brownsboro, now in the armed forces from Brownsboro to reach out to me. Chad told me all I need to look out for and asked me to have my locations sent to him. He then said to me “If things get bad or look like they are headed that way, reach out to me and I’ll come get you out myself if I have to.” Unfortunately for me Global lost their contract just 24 hrs before getting the plan and I never got the chance head over, but that one conversation with him reminded me of the brotherhood us old teammates had. It showed me the kind of man Chad became, still tough, still knowing how to turn that game time switch on, but a tough warrior with a kind heart wanting to help a “civilian” and an old friend. Because of this I would check in on him and see how he and his family were doing. I could also see his growth through the years of becoming a family man and how he reach out to his fellow veterans with getting back to the civilian life and finding success through his podcast. Chad will be missed, and the world is a sadder place with him gone.
Thanks for the memories Chad, Godspeed my friend.
Cody Neal Beard