Jason Phillips, RIP

Some may have known him as Phillips 66 (if you played football with him), some knew him as Jason, but most remember him as "Pudge." He got that name because he was a bigger guy. He became fairly large later in life, but even in his baby pics, he was big-boned. Being a bigger guy myself, I've come to realize there are certain health issues that correlate to being "big-boned". We are prone to diabetes, heart disease, and organ failures to name just a few. One of the most common problems guys of large stature deal with is sleep apnea - a disease where the person actually stops breathing in their sleep. It is scary because one has no control over this problem and the only solution is a cumbersome mask apparatus that one must wear EVERY TIME they fall asleep. This is not just so the person gets a good night's sleep - it is to prevent them from dying. I, thankfully, do not suffer from this, but I know people that do and I will now implore them to seek and use this mask. I never thought I would start to bury my friends until I was at least 40 - but now it has begun 10 years earlier. To a man who lived the mantra, "just have fun," rest in peace, Pudge.