The family and friends of Texas Longhorns player Jake Ehlinger held a celebration of life ceremony on Wednesday with nearly 800 people in attendance, remembering the late linebacker, and the impact he had on their lives.
Ehlinger, who unexpectedly passed away on May 6, was known as a fiery competitor, but above all else, a loving brother and son.
His older brother, former Longhorns quarterback and recent NFL Draft pick Sam Ehlinger, spoke at the ceremony, remembering his "best friend", and his endlessly positive demeanor towards life.
"As I'm coping and dealing with these emotions, I try to remember that, and I challenge you to remember that as well," Sam said of his younger brother, per the Austin American Statesman. "Jake would say, ‘Hey, you got 20 years of me. You got 20 years of laughter. You got 20 years of happiness. You got 20 years of love."
Sam is also comforted by the bittersweet truth that Jake is now reunited with his father Ross, who passed away of an apparent heart attack in 2013 while competing in a California triathlon, an event that affected Jake for the remainder of his life.
"Jake was never really the same after my dad passed," Sam said. "He was his best friend and they had this quiet connection. He was never really the same, but now he's back with him. Who knows what they're doing now? Jake's probably doing flips and they're going crazy up there."
With Sam, his mother Jena, and his sister Morgan in attendance, Ehlinger's legacy was recounted by more than just family, with his former high school coach Todd Dodge, his former Longhorns head coach Tom Herman, and countless other friends, family, teammates, and University of Texas staff members in attendance.
Dodge told stories of Jake's nature as a player both on and off the field, and friends shared memories of their experiences, all to remember a 20-year-old who held an unfathomable impact on each and every one of them and look forward to when they can see with the "glass half-full, never glass-half-empty" Jake once again.
"I look forward to our next big hug when we meet again," Ehlinger's best friend Cameron Thompson said.
In remembrance of his life, the University of Texas has set up the Jake Ehlinger Memorial Scholarship in his name. Donations to that fund can be made here.
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