RIP Wes Rucker

#177
#177
My heart is breaking for his family.
I am sad for VolNation as a whole too.
He was a needed bridge between being a homer and being real about what was happening. When he reported, you never had to wonder why he was doing it.
He will be missed.
 
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#178
#178
#1HomeGrownUTVOL said:
This is so terrible. I lost my nephew last Saturday in a bad crash. We had been clinging to hope and faith that he would pull through but he was pronounced brain dead Wednesday. My prayers are with the Rucker Family. Their is nothing that can prepare families for tragedy like this.
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Sorry for your loss brother
 
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#179
#179
Tragic. Really feel for his wife and family. I really liked Wes. I wish more people would settle down on the roads, it's selfish not to drive with other people's safety in mind. I was nearly killed by a drunk driver years ago, couldn't walk for several months. RIP Wes.
 
#180
#180
Saw the rumors last night and hoped it was just a rumor or he was one of the fortunate ones that survived.

Wes was on campus when I was a junior, so didn’t have interactions with him but the way he followed the University and our athletic teams was phenomenal. He’s been around covering these programs for most of my adult life - and that’s really what made this just sink in at a level I wasn’t prepared for. I didn’t always agree with him on his takes, some outside the realm of sports, but I absolutely respect him because he stood by his beliefs and could articulate his positions. I’m hard pressed to find a time that he wavered on anything.

And there’s no doubt he loved his family more than anything. His devotion to them should be a guiding light for the rest of us.

Rest in peace, Wes. VFL and beyond.
 
#183
#183
RDU VOL#14 said:
This has really gotten me. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about how horrible this is. There’s a lot of symmetry that I see with Wes and myself . We’re both 43. We were both at UT at the same time, we both have overcome serious medical issues that were followed by having children, my son is the same age as his, I have a little girl and his wife is due with their first daughter in May. He wore his love for his family on his sleeve and those that know me know that I do the same. I can’t imagine the sadness and grief they are dealing with and the idea that he’ll never hug his wife or tuck in his son for bed or meet his daughter is something that is just eating at me. It’s so sad and it’s hard to understand God’s plan sometimes .
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I’ve been clinging to the plan maybe being a wake-up call for others, notably myself on all fronts. Not knowing what caused the chain reaction on I-40 my head, like many, goes to a phone. I’m 100% guilty of texting and responding to emails heading to and from work everyday; I found myself this morning after waking up to this news starting to respond and then reminding myself it can wait 10 min. My wife asked if I could give our 1 yr old a bath tonight cause I’ve been gone all week for work, and I begrudgingly said sure cause I really wanted to watch the game. Then I caught myself, I’m home tonight to do that, Wes isn’t. I watched him look at me and close the drain 3x after I lifted it and laugh hysterically when he did it cause he wasn’t ready to get out. It made me not give a damn about the game anymore and it set in that those moments are way more important than a Feb college baseball game. I’m going to try my damndest to do better by my family and be more present when around, in honor of Wes because he was a model for all of us.
 
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#189
#189
His loss will be felt this upcoming season. He clearly cared about UT sports and had well-thought out arguments in his writing. They need to get that work wrapped up on Cedar Bluff so it doesn't happen again. RIP
 
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#190
#190
AthensVol2007 said:
I’ve been clinging to the plan maybe being wake-up call for others, notably myself on all fronts. Not knowing what caused the chain reaction on I-40 my head, like many, goes to a phone. I’m 100% guilty of texting and responding to emails heading to and from work everyday; I found myself this morning after waking up to this news starting to respond and then reminding myself it can wait 10 min. My wife asked if I could give our 1 yr old a bath tonight cause I’ve been gone all week for work, and I begrudgingly said sure cause I really wanted to watch the game. Then I caught myself, I’m home tonight to do that, Wes isn’t. I watched him look at me and close the drain 3x after I lifted it and laugh hysterically when he did it cause he wasn’t ready to get out. It made me not give a damn about the game anymore and it set in that those moments are way more important than a Feb college baseball game. I’m going to try my damndest to do better by my family and be more present when around, in honor of Wes because he was a model for all of us.
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Well said. Things like this really can provide some perspective. I definitely found myself trying to have a little more patience with the kids than I normally do the past day or so. Like you said, waiting the extra couple of minutes to respond to a text or work call won’t be the end of the world if you don’t respond right away.
 
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#192
#192
natemantooth said:
His loss will be felt this upcoming season. He clearly cared about UT sports and had well-thought out arguments in his writing. They need to get that work wrapped up on Cedar Bluff so it doesn't happen again. RIP
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Definitely so for me. After a bad loss (or even a “bad” win), I would avoid this cesspool and look forward to reading Wes’s columns for a measured and meaningful perspective. I usually agreed, but not always. But I always respected his takes.
 
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#197
#197
freedom fighter said:
So it all started by a traffic stop during busy rush hour, when the roads are packed is not the time to create a traffic hazard on the side of the road for a speeding ticket.
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Totally agree. Find somewhere else to catch speeders, not where it's relatively safe to speed. My house is off a side street right off a main road. People routinely give it hell going 50 ,60+ in a 25 zone. I've almost been hit pulling out of my driveway by people driving so fast that aren't there when I look but are when I pull out. Cops could sit here all day and write tickets. Do they? Hell no. But they're there on the interstate or highway ready write me a ticket doing 56 in a 45 omw to work. It's ridiculous.
 
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#198
#198
Along with his family first and foremost, as a dog lover something he posted on Twitter makes me sad for his dog. He posted that he'd fight a tornado for his dog because his dog was always the first one to greet him when he got home. I feel bad knowing his dog is probably still waiting for him to walk through the door.
 
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#199
#199
K-town Vol Fan said:
Totally agree. Find somewhere else to catch speeders, not where it's relatively safe to speed. My house is off a side street right off a main road. People routinely give it hell going 50 ,60+ in a 25 zone. I've almost been hit pulling out of my driveway by people driving so fast that aren't there when I look but are when I pull out. Cops could sit here all day and write tickets. Do they? Hell no. But they're there on the interstate or highway ready write me a ticket doing 56 in a 45 omw to work. It's ridiculous.
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I see cops speed thru school zones too and almost hit kids.
 
#200
#200
freedom fighter said:
So it all started by a traffic stop during busy rush hour, when the roads are packed is not the time to create a traffic hazard on the side of the road for a speeding ticket.
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I'm gonna guess it was a useless State Trooper desperate to fill his DUI quota and had someone pulled over for something miniscule. A family destroyed because of one man on a power trip.
 
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