Like yesterday, I can remember us cracking up after a field trip to Ripley’s Aquarium.

I can sit here and say I had the honor and privilege to be friends with Logan Andrews. For anyone who knows me, I can do better getting my thoughts across in paper than speaking them out, and this is one of those moments. To say this week has been a hard one for the Hampton community would be an understatement after Logan passed away early Thursday morning at Johnson City Medical Center.

Wednesday evening was the first time I had a chance to stop by Johnson City Medical Center. It was the first opportunity I had to stop by and hadn’t checked Facebook up until that point. I stopped by and saw the emotion in the waiting room. I talked with Joanna Orr, our guidance counselor from Hampton High School and friend of the Andrews family, and decided to just step out of the hospital, head back home and pray. I honestly thought it was just a bad dream.

Then at around 5 a.m. in the morning, I checked Facebook and saw the news. One of my best friends, better yet – brothers, passed away too young.

You sit there and just replay life events. The fun times. The experiences. The trips. You think about whether or not you should call or text someone from the family. I sat there and just stared at the wall thinking about what I could do for Logan and the family.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you about my friend, Logan.

I could honestly take the amount of page space offered by the Elizabethton Star to talk about all the different stories we had over the past 20 plus years.

One moment that stands out in my head, even though it probably shouldn’t, was during P.E. at Hampton Elementary and somehow we ended up colliding into each other and I hit up against the wall. Anyone that knows Logan that even in elementary, he already had the frame of an NFL linebacker … and your’s truly closely resembled a rollie-pollie. But he checked up on me the entire day. Another moment was during the NCAA football championship game between Texas and USC. We ended up on the phone shooting the breeze about the game, talking about how awesome Vince Young was and how Reggie Bush was so overrated. Pretty much stayed on the phone the entire game.

Then high school came around. Logan was a man amongst boys. Freshman year as a starting lineman, he was able to strike fear into the player he played against. I played up until my sophomore year and I remember vividly when we were at West Greene, (it was already a trashing so junior varsity was going in) and I was on kickoff coverage. I come back to the sideline, Logan is sitting there, talking to people, then boom, pops his shoulder back into place and doesn’t miss a beat.

Logan was one of the toughest guys I knew.

But under that toughness was a wise-cracking guy who’d give you the shirt off his back and do anything he could for you. He epitomized what the HHS graduating class of 2010 wanted to be. Whether it was Hooters wings or Pizza Inn trips, I can’t count the times I thought we’d get kicked out from laughing so much. Senior prom, since I was class clown of sorts, asked him if I should sing “Don’t Stop Believin’” during the prom king and queen’s dance. He started laughing and said “man, I don’t know. It would be awesome though” so of course, I did. And, like the restaurant trips, surprised we didn’t get kicked out.

Then there were the times I stayed at the Andrews’ home. I was always shy and quiet growing up. But when I’d get invited over, Kim, Tim, Whitney and Bailey were always so accommodating and so, well, awesome. My family life in high school and a couple of years after weren’t great. And those times of being able to sit over there and shoot the breeze with Logan and stayed the night will always be lodged in my head forever.

Logan was also supportive of my career. I remember when I got the job in Erwin as a sports writer, he’d always give me grief about “them Blue Devils” but we couldn’t honestly spend hours over the phone, in person or on Facebook just talking about local sports. Same goes for my time in Elizabethton.

“Man, I’m glad we’re able to make something out of ourselves from Hampton.”

That sticks in my head and plays on a loop. It makes you sick to know someone’s taken from this world too quick, but I honestly can’t help but smile because Logan did more than make something out of himself. He inspired a community from his quick wit, kind nature and just by being a great guy. You can’t help but to tear up when you scroll through social media and see what type of impact he made on people’s lives.

I remember during one trip to Pizza Inn talking about the movie “Anchorman” and Logan joked about me being on TV news. I had every intentions of telling him this week that I will be soon starting at WJHL. My last day with the Elizabethton Star is Wednesday, Oct. 10, and my first day at the station is that following week. I will be behind the scenes working on stories and production of shows. I had every intentions of telling him and waiting for him to drop a Ron Burgundy reference … and us laughing for like 15 minutes straight afterward.

Logan, you were taken way too early from this life. All I can say is thanks for being my brother. Someone I could count on and someone I could trust. I will never forget the moments and I promise I will continue to do what I can and share stories with you from time to time in prayer about what’s going on with the Bulldogs. Or how the Tennessee Volunteers will get back on top on the gridiron. And how Derek Dooley is unbearable.

And to the Andrews family, I can’t say enough thanks. You helped take me in during a tough time and gave us all someone who made such an impact on our lives and continues to do so to this day, and will continue to do so in the future.

Please be sure to keep the Andrews family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

The chocolate chip pizza from Pizza Inn won’t be the same, brother, but I’m glad to know you’re in a better place and not suffering anymore.