Forever a Bulldog
A tribute to Nathan Hathaway
The game versus Hawaii was great
for all who saw it. The game against San Jose State this weekend will
also be great for all who see it.
Unfortunately, there is at least one Fresno State fan who won’t
get to see either. Former Collegian features editor and editor-in-chief
and my friend, Nathan Hathaway, has been on life support since having
surgery on his brain one week ago.
As of Thursday, the life support plug had been pulled and he passed away
soon after.
This is the second time a surgery of this nature has been performed on
Nathan, although this surgery is the worst of the two. What happened,
in his case, is a blood clot formed in his brain, and to some extent exploded
over a period of time.
Chances are, if you are a Bulldog athlete, you’ve seen Nathan around
your sport, or maybe have even been interviewed by him.
His opinions are always genuine, his behavior is always professional and
his perseverance has always remained.
We always knew there was a chance of it happening again, especially when
the warning signs popped up a couple of weeks ago. That’s why Nathan
went to the doctor to get tested, only to be told the day of the incident
that everything was fine.
Nathan is originally from San Jose. He could have gone to San Jose State,
but being the intelligent man that he is, he chose Fresno State.
After years of being a part-time student at Fresno State, Nathan was only
a semester away from earning his well-deserved degree. He was also working
nights at the Merced Sun-Star.
Never underestimate the loyalty that Nathan showed to his adopted Bulldogs
either. When it came time for Fresno State to take down Virginia in Boise,
Idaho, Nathan drove us there. Sure he made blind turns on streets with
a speed limit of 25 miles per hour at 80, but we got there safely. And
when it came time for a third down on defense, Nathan and I carried the
thunder part of third down thunder.
I would like for nothing else in the world than to see Nathan around for
a few more Fresno State chants, but since we can’t, the memories
he provided his friends will be around forever.
Nathan Hathaway touched a lot of people during his short time at Fresno
State. And although he didn’t win this battle, it wasn’t because
of a lack of heart and determination. After all, he is a Bulldog.
- Darrell Copeland
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