The FIRST FIFTEEN

First and foremost this book and/or film series is dedicated to a number of people.  To begin with Jody, Bailey, and Nolan three teammates that are no longer with us.  Jody lost a battle with cancer, Bailey was overseas and was given incorrect medicine, and Nolan died in his bed alone.  I can never express the pain and sorry I feel for each one. Jody the class clown (our Center 12), Bailey the Saint (our flyhalf), and Nolan (our scrumhalf) the guy who made you feel special when you walked into a room, he also gave me the ball a lot.

Each one had many more traits that I may tell or may not tell. 

To my Family, my Father who gave me the tools to do anything I wanted to do, my Mother who showed me how to be creative, my Wife who puts up with all my bullshit, who is my best friend, and a bad ass woman. 

To my coaches from Wrestling and Rugby, who knew me as two different men but made me the man I am today. To the people who help me out in Racing there’s a few and I am always grateful.  

I’m writing these books from my perspective, to tell you the stories of the most diverse groups I have intertwined with, from the hi-rises of New York City, to the boondocks of Pennsylvania, the cold regions of Edinboro, PA to the high banks of Dirt Tracks of PA and NJ, from the Cayman Islands to Hoboken NJ, from the locker/green rooms of stars to the trailers I group up in and around, the personalities of Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and England and the craziest group of Americans I have ever known. 

Wrestling, Rugby, and Racing will be periods that are defined but the story is truly about the people and groups I have met along the way.

This story is not about the wins or losses, the records or the trophy’s, or being the best of the best, the story is exactly that, a story that I have to tell, that I got to tell, yep I got a story to tell, biggie, kick down doors for ya (I digress). 

I hope you enjoy this, I feel that this is something I am suppose to do, its been tugging on me my most of my life but was never quite ready, it is now.

Erik

“I shall not walk where the path may lead but I will walk where there is no path and leave a trail”