It was so hard to see our dad, the toughest man we know, make the hardest decision of his life. So hard to see him walk away from what he loves — not just the love of the game, but the love for all the people who surround him every day.
It was hard to watch him tell people he loves that he can no longer give them 110 percent. Hard because football has been our life. Hard because we don't know what Saturdays are going to be like. Hard because we won't hear "Jer-ry, Jer-ry, Jer-ry" as we leave the field.
But football has blessed our family. It taught us to face challenges together and gave us strength. Most important, football gave us love. We watched Dad inspire millions of people. He became a father to players, helping them become undeniably great men. Along the way, he raised us and was a great husband.
Mom and Dad have given us an incredible journey, and we cannot thank them enough. But now we get to begin a new one, and add another brick to an awesome foundation. Thank you to everyone for being there through these tough times. We will always have our Gopher family in our hearts.
Krystal and Tasha are Jerry and Rebecca Kill's daughters.
