Why Gaffney's Jake Buerk felt emotional lift from Shrine Bowl high school football all-star game
Gaffney's Jake Buerk, starting center for the South Carolina high school football all-star offensive line Saturday in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, needed to wipe the sweat from his hands before a play.
He did not use the towel hanging from his right hip.
Well, of course not. That was not a hand towel. It was a tribute towel.
So, Buerk instead soaked up sweat from his hands on his football pants and got ready for the next snap. Even when he was on the sideline, Buerk kept checking that towel, making sure what he had written on it with a black Sharpie wasn’t smeared or improperly folded as the Sandlappers beat North Carolina, 24-0, at Spartanburg High School.
Buerk's towel, the all-star game, in fact the entire high school football season was dedicated to his brother-in-law, who died in September.
“It was tough on me and my family,” Buerk said. “We’ve just been trying to battle through it every single day and live life for him because he lived life to the fullest every single day.
“I’m glad I had football. Football really got me through this whole thing. I knew he would’ve been here today.”
It was an emotional weekend, perhaps the heaviest of which for Buerk was Thursday’s visit to the Shriners Children's Hospital of Greenville, part of a non-profit organization that provides benefits free of charge for children with physical conditions free of charge.
“It meant the world to me,” Buerk said, “just seeing those kids wake up every day just trying to be a kid. It opened another door for me and reminded me of just how thankful I should be."
Buerk said he doesn’t remember, but he had to wear braces on both legs shortly after he began to walk.
“I was a tippy-toe walker,” Buerk said. “They use braces to correct that. On Thursday, I saw a kid wearing knee braces and he was trying to get up by himself and walk. It was pretty emotional for me.’’
Buerk on Saturday found himself on an all-star offensive line that featured two South Carolina commits (Blake Franks from Greenville and Josiah Thompson from Dillon), another for Clemson (Watson Young of Daniel) and Central Florida commit Julius Tate of Greenville. Buerk is still without a college offer above NCAA Division II.
“Being selected to the Shrine Bowl was amazing,” Buerk said. “It’s an amazing honor. I’m blessed to even be considered one of the top offensive linemen in the state of South Carolina.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC high school football: Shrine Bowl emotional lift for Gaffney player
