Not Without Hope (22 page)

Thanks to…

Mom, for being the main reason I held on. Words can never explain.

Paula, for taking care of me and never leaving my side. You have always put me first and for that I can’t thank you enough. You are one in a billion.

My sister, Kris, for being as positive as you could have been and for always sticking by my side.

Dad, for supporting me though all of this. I know you’re proud of me.

Bob, Betty, and Blake Bleakely for raising such an intelligent, respectful, and admirable son like Will who helped save my life. Losing my best friend has been traumatic, but I can’t imagine what it’s truly been like for you. I pray for you and thank you for your continuous love and support. Will has always spoken so highly of you. He loved you so much.

The Smith family, for having incredible faith and for sharing your words of encouragement with me. Corey had enough passion
and faith for this lifetime and the next. Please continue to be strong for each other. I love you all and Corey.

The Cooper family, for creating such a strong-willed man who exemplified extreme dedication in everything he did: fishing, lifting, football, family. Marquis loved his family more than anything in this world. Your devotion to your son is extraordinary.

Rebekah, your undeniable faith has given me strength through some of my toughest moments. I admire you in so many ways, but mostly for being such an incredible parent to Goose. Delaney is incredibly blessed to have such wonderful parents. I pray that one day we can continue our friendship; it means more to me than you can imagine.

My family and the Oliveira family, for your continuous prayers, encouraging words, and constant support. I love you all.

To all of my friends, I cherish and love all of you. I am so grateful for all of you.

To everyone who visited me in the hospital or at home…Paul, Baidyr, Mark, Corey, John, Grant, Nick, Dave, Scott. Also thank you to all those who sent me cards and goodies.

Nate, Busbee, and Andy, I can’t imagine getting through this without you. Thank you.

Ryan, Kenny, Pitt, Matt, and Tim for flying in to check in on me. To all my Lakewood brothers and Michael Marks, thanks for all the prayers.

Scott, I know how hard this has been for you. Stay strong. I love you, brother, and so does Will.

Thanks to my clients who have become great friends…Lori, Jan, Debbie, the Cetranglo family, the Franklin family, TC and Linda, the Howard Family, Julie, Mike Mpukarak, Mark and Amber, Andrea Tuggle, the Kravetz family, the Prokrana family, Rose, the Risavy family, Merle, Barb, Tracey, Joan, Jamie, the Darst family, the Nelson family.

My neighbors, Harry, Angie, Sheila, Chris, Noah, Alex, and Christopher.

My football friends on Saturday…thanks for the distraction and letting me feel fun again. One of the only times when I could think of something beside the accident. You all have no idea what this did for me.

USF Football Family, for your prayers.

Thank you to all my high school friends back north for sending love down south, especially the Smith family.

Thank you to everyone else who didn’t even really know me for the prayers and encouragement through all of this. Whether it was the hundreds of cards or e-mail, it never go old.

Thank you to Jim Kelly, Tony Dungy, and Reverend Lane for your words of wisdom, and prayers as well.

My new family that has formed from all of this…my committee members from the Nick Schuyler Foundation. This amazing charity would never have been possible without all of you; Dina, Dean, Jane, Anita, and Lori. Along with all of the other volunteers and sponsors, thank you. I hope and believe that what we’re doing is making my three fallen brothers proud.

Special thanks to Captain Tim Close and the Coast Guard. I can’t say enough. Without you, I wouldn’t have been given a second chance and an opportunity to tell this story.

Thanks to my agent Rick French, as well as Jack Glasure and the entire PR team at French/West/Vaughan for helping me through this difficult process.

Thanks to Dan Kelly and Fifth Year Productions for helping to make this book a reality.

Thank you to all the doctors and nurses and the hospital. You guys were amazing and spoiled me with kindness and endless Jell-O.

Thank you, Jeré, for helping me with this book and for being genuine.

Thank you most of all to my three fallen brothers: Will, Marquis, and Corey. I love and miss you all so very much! Even with this book, no one can fully understand what we went through out there at sea. I know you are watching down on us every day, protecting us. I know we will reunite once again. I know every day that you’re dominating the football heavens. When you’re not all catching touchdown passes and sacking quarterbacks, you’re catching fish from heaven’s seas. Fish way too big for this world.

I don’t know why this happened to such amazing, loyal, and well-liked individuals. In a way I wish I was enjoying those days with you. But I do know the power of prayer, love, and friendship. Even though you’re gone, we will always be together. I look forward to seeing you again. I love all of you.

I’d like to thank Nick for the opportunity to help tell his story. And I’d like to offer my condolences to the families of Marquis, Corey, and Will. I know words can provide no consolation. The most we could offer was to make this book as accurate as possible.

I’d also like to thank Nick’s family and Paula for assisting me. Captain Timothy Close and Lieutenant Bruno Baltazar of the St. Petersburg Coast Guard sector were greatly helpful in explaining search-and-rescue efforts. The crews of the cutter
Tornado
, led by Lieutenant Commander Patrick Peschka, and the airlifting Coast Guard helicopter patiently described their efforts to find and resuscitate Nick. The attending critical-care physician, Dr. Mark Rumbak of Tampa General Hospital, gave his time on a busy day to answer my medical questions. John Dunn of the hospital’s public relations staff helped tremendously in cutting through the red tape.

Thanks to David Hirshey at HarperCollins for pitching my name and to Mauro DiPreta, my editor, whose diligence and sharp
eye made this a smooth process at high speed. Special thanks to David Black, my agent, for his sage counsel, and Dave Larabell for his frequent and appreciated progress reports.

I am grateful to Tom Jolly, sports editor of the
New York Times,
and to Jason Stallman, assistant sports editor, for their support.

As always, this would not have been possible without the love, patience, and inexhaustible accommodation of Deborah, my wife, and Julie-Ann, our daughter.

Finally, to my dad. I love you and miss you.

Most of the source material for this book came from Nick Schuyler’s recollection of what happened before, during, and after the tragic boating accident. We tried to confirm as much as we could in interviews with the Coast Guard, family members, and the doctor who treated Nick after he was rescued.

The official Coast Guard report of the case can be viewed at http://cgreport.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/the-search-and-rescue-of-nick-schuyler/

The official report of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can be viewed at http://myfwc.com/docs/Newsroom/FWC_ACISS_%20BoatingAccidentInvestigativeReportFWSW_09_OFF.pdf

A number of newspaper and wire-service articles provided helpful information about the case and the lives and athletic careers of Nick, Will Bleakley, Marquis Cooper, and Corey Smith. We’d like to thank the Associated Press; Greg Auman, Lane DeGregory, and Erin Sullivan of the
St. Petersburg Times
; John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of the
Detroit News
; Josh Slagter and Brian Van Ochten of the
Grand Rapids
(Mich.)
Press
; Steve Corkran of the
Contra Costa
(Calif.)
Times
; John McGrath of the
Tacoma
(Wash.)
News Tribune
; Mal Florence of the
Los Angeles Times
, and John Coscia of the
Citrus County
(Fla.)
Chronicle.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/article980681.ece

http://www.dtf1.net/other-sports-teams-f22/lions-remember-lostteammate-t4589.htm

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4003668

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2009/03/spoiled_athlete_fomer_lion_cor.html

http://www.contracostatimes.com/raiders/ci_13848007?nclick_check=1

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090826/OPINION03/908260340

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/columnists/mcgrath/story/642763.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/05/sports/sp-briefing5

http://www.tampabay.com/news/article982146.ece

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/article980616.ece

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2009/03/father-recalls.html

http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?071+article+News+20090304224639071311

NICK SCHUYLER
lives in Tampa, Florida.

JERÉ LONGMAN
is a sportswriter for the
New York Times.
His three previous books for HarperCollins are the
New York Times
bestseller
Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back; The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed the World;
and
If Football’s a Religion, Why Don’t We Have a Prayer?: Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation.
He also wrote
The Hurricanes: One High School Team’s Homecoming After Katrina,
named by Slate magazine as one of the best books of 2008.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Jacket design by Richard L. Aquan

Jacket photographs: ocean by John Lund/SuperStock; Nick Schuyler by AP Images/United States Coast Guard