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Coach Toby Foreman is all too familiar with returning to the field following tragedy

Former West Orange-Stark offensive coordinator opens up about returning to football after the death of Reggie Garrett

BEAUMONT, Texas — As people across the world continue to pray for the full recovery of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, reality is settling in.

The NFL season will go on.

The National Football League announced that the Bills and Bengals will not resume their game this week and there's no decision on if it will be completed at a later date, but week 18, which is the final week of the regular season, will be played as scheduled.

This awful event has brought up memories here in Southeast Texas of when West Orange-Stark quarterback Reggie Garrett tragically died after tossing a touchdown pass against jasper in 2010.

Killeen Shoemaker Head Coach Toby Foreman, who was the offensive coordinator for the Mustangs that night, spoke with 409Sports about how hard it was to return to the field after witnessing such a tragic event.

"Well, I'll tell you it's the only time in my life I didn't want to be around football. I thought about quitting. I just really thought about not doing it anymore. I was extremely close to that young man. I don't think the kids and I know myselft, that whoele year, we never felt comfortable throughout the season. There was never a time of normalcy with that whole season until it ended and we got knocked out of the playoffs by Brookshire Royal. But it was not normal and I will tell you a part of me is still there. I mean a part of me is still at the twelve yard line. He threw the touchdown pass on the sideline. I'll never move past that. Part of my body won't move past that. Because I left a part of me on that field that night with him."

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