From the football field to his life's work off the field, when Alex Dusch is doing what he does best, it's mostly thanks to his dad.
“He's the reason why I play football, the reason why I started playing football,” Dusch says. “Losing him was a big thing because he's my number one supporter. He always came to my games, always supported me in everything I did.”
Justin Dusch died suddenly last year.
Alex says that on top of being a dedicated football dad and a man who put others first, he was a big fan of the late night food run with his son.
“We would go and get hoagies and pizza and bring it back for him, my grandma and I and we would just eat those,” Alex says. “Just doing that and being able to be with him and spend time with him is always one of my favorite memories with him.”
Through grief, Alex turned to the same the sport that he shared with his dad.
“Football is an outlet for me to help me get my mind off things,” he says. “This team really helped me get through everything, especially the coaches and the players. This team is not just a team, it's a brotherhood.”
He also found joy, and possibly his future, in a school club: Best Buddies. The organization fosters friendships between those with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I just fell in love with helping those kids and teaching them,” Alex says.
He hopes to become a Special Ed teacher; what head football coach Lou Cerro says is no surprise for their team captain.
“He's just a kid that kids look up to,” Cerro says. “Not the biggest kid in the world but he gets it done each and every week.”
So much of that hard work done to honor the man who inspires him most
“I would give everything to have him back, but you know what, I know he's here in spirit,” Alex says. “I know he's always cheering me on in everything I do. Everything i do is for him.”