Green Bay — With his eyes shimmering as he battled tears, Andrew Quarless shared Monday the reason for his absence from the beginning of training camp last week. In hushed tones, the Green Bay Packers tight end discussed the death of his daughter.
"This past Wednesday, July 29, I lost my daughter on delivery," Quarless said. "Probably the saddest day of my life."
What followed was a description of an unfathomably difficult month for Quarless. It began over the 4th of July weekend in Miami Beach, where Quarless was arrested on allegations of firing a weapon after an argument outside a parking garage. For a time, he thought his tenure with the Packers might be over, an external incident stripping him of the privilege to play the game he loves.
Some 25 days later, on the same day coach Mike McCarthy offered his season-opening address prior to the start of training camp, Quarless and his longtime girlfriend lost their daughter.
"It’s been a lot," Quarless said. "It’s been a lot. As you grow older as a man, you really understand life and you really understand things. I’m so appreciative of this team. Even from the incident earlier in the month, there’s just been so much support. More than I feel like sometimes I might deserve. Just the amount of love from everybody, it’s really been good for me. It’s hard to explain how much that means to me. I’m just thankful. It really helps you put things in perspective. In my head right now, you really can’t take anything for granted."
That final phrase — "You really can't take anything for granted" — spilled repeatedly from Quarless in an emotional seven-minute interview outside his locker. The duality of the statement, applicable as much to his legal situation as to the loss of his daughter, was palpable. Twice he paused, on the verge of tears, only to compose himself and resume with boundless praise for an organization he described as "very special, very, very special."
"I don’t take this organization for granted and I don’t take my position for granted," Quarless said. "I’m just really, really thankful. That’s the main word I can really use is thankful for this group of guys. I promise you this: There’s something special in here and I think it’s going to help us chasing this Lombardi. It’s a special group of guys.
"It’s really a family in here. It’s really a family."
His family on the field was matched by a large contingent of relatives off the field at Monday's practice. Roughly a dozen family members, ranging from young children to elders, watched from the sidelines as Quarless was a full participant for the first time this season.
The experience, he said, gave him a sliver of happiness amidst a month of emotional cataclysm. He described himself as drained, and Monday offered the rare opportunity to "actually smile."
After practice, every relative received a sweat-drenched hug and kiss. Especially his son.
"The most important thing was seeing my son," Quarless said. "My son was able to come out there. He was really looking forward to being a big brother.
"Just one of those things where my whole mindset about life has kind of changed a lot. Really, with my daughter, I promise you, my daughter, I was looking a little bit of happiness in my daughter. I was looking for things — you just can’t take life for granted."
"This past Wednesday, July 29, I lost my daughter on delivery," Quarless said. "Probably the saddest day of my life."
What followed was a description of an unfathomably difficult month for Quarless. It began over the 4th of July weekend in Miami Beach, where Quarless was arrested on allegations of firing a weapon after an argument outside a parking garage. For a time, he thought his tenure with the Packers might be over, an external incident stripping him of the privilege to play the game he loves.
Some 25 days later, on the same day coach Mike McCarthy offered his season-opening address prior to the start of training camp, Quarless and his longtime girlfriend lost their daughter.
"It’s been a lot," Quarless said. "It’s been a lot. As you grow older as a man, you really understand life and you really understand things. I’m so appreciative of this team. Even from the incident earlier in the month, there’s just been so much support. More than I feel like sometimes I might deserve. Just the amount of love from everybody, it’s really been good for me. It’s hard to explain how much that means to me. I’m just thankful. It really helps you put things in perspective. In my head right now, you really can’t take anything for granted."
That final phrase — "You really can't take anything for granted" — spilled repeatedly from Quarless in an emotional seven-minute interview outside his locker. The duality of the statement, applicable as much to his legal situation as to the loss of his daughter, was palpable. Twice he paused, on the verge of tears, only to compose himself and resume with boundless praise for an organization he described as "very special, very, very special."
"I don’t take this organization for granted and I don’t take my position for granted," Quarless said. "I’m just really, really thankful. That’s the main word I can really use is thankful for this group of guys. I promise you this: There’s something special in here and I think it’s going to help us chasing this Lombardi. It’s a special group of guys.
"It’s really a family in here. It’s really a family."
His family on the field was matched by a large contingent of relatives off the field at Monday's practice. Roughly a dozen family members, ranging from young children to elders, watched from the sidelines as Quarless was a full participant for the first time this season.
The experience, he said, gave him a sliver of happiness amidst a month of emotional cataclysm. He described himself as drained, and Monday offered the rare opportunity to "actually smile."
After practice, every relative received a sweat-drenched hug and kiss. Especially his son.
"The most important thing was seeing my son," Quarless said. "My son was able to come out there. He was really looking forward to being a big brother.
"Just one of those things where my whole mindset about life has kind of changed a lot. Really, with my daughter, I promise you, my daughter, I was looking a little bit of happiness in my daughter. I was looking for things — you just can’t take life for granted."
