Warren Hills QB Evan Murray’s final essay: ‘Proud to be a Blue Streak’

They're the words by which Evan Murray's will always be remembered.

Two days before the Warren Hills quarterback died from a lacerated spleen after taking several hits during a game against Summit, he had given teacher Andrew Oakley an essay — thoughts on leadership and community.

The 17-year-old senior wrote that there are many diverse groups at his Warren County school but as a member of the football team, "I believe that I help bring all these groups in the Warren Hills community together for a short time" during football games.

"There is nothing like playing on Friday nights in front of the whole Blue Streak community, with all its groups and members coming together to cheer us on," wrote Murray.

He continued: "Bringing everybody together for one night in the week makes me proud to be a Blue Streak, and to be the leader of the group makes me feel even prouder."

The full essay was shared in a Tweet by Steven Resnick, one of several hundred people who attended Murray's funeral.

The essay is below:

I can be described as many things, but one of the things that I am the most proud of is that I am a Blue Streak. The Blue Streak is the mascot for my high school, Warren Hills. Warren Hills is a very diverse school with all kinds of ethnicities, races and religious groups. There are also many different school affiliated groups that you can be a part of, from the drama club, athletic teams, debate teams to National Honors Society and Peer Leadership.

Sometimes it is hard to bring these groups together and create a common identity. I find myself in many of these groups within the community of Warren Hills and I am afforded many leadership roles in it. The group that I am most proud to be a part of, however, is the football team. I believe that I help bring all these groups in the Warren Hills community together for a short time.

I play quarterback and I'm charged with leading the team on and off the field. Being in this position really puts my life in perspective and emphasizes what it means to be a Blue Streak because I find myself being a spokesperson for our team everywhere I go. Many of these responsibilities are thrown on me but I do my best to handle them and move forward. There is nothing like playing on Friday nights in front of the whole Blue Streak community, with all its groups and members coming together to cheer us on.

After games, I talk to countless people about how the game went and I find that so many people take special interest in what we do. And that makes me truly feel like I make a small difference in the community. Bringing everybody together for one night in the week makes me proud to be a Blue Streak. And to be the leader of the group that does it makes me feel even prouder.