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On Monday the 24th, a memorial service was held to honor and remember Ted Agu. Around 200 people attended, which speaks volumes of the effect Ted had on those around him due to "his generosity of spirit, his zest for life and his willingness to help others."
The Cal Athletics family was in attendance to share stories of this great young man.
The memorial service was attended by several members of Agu's family, athletic director Sandy Barbour, Cal football coach Sonny Dykes, members of the football team and many others. Agu was remembered as a young man with a huge heart, who sought to help others while working tirelessly at succeeding at everything he attempted to do.
"I got to know Ted because of football, but Ted was much more than a football player," Dykes said. "Sometimes, football defines us. But it was a very, very small part of Ted's life. Ted was about taking care of people that couldn't take care of themselves. He was all about helping people, working hard, overcoming obstacles - and I think that's the lesson that our football players are so fortunate to learn from him."
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While talking about the impact Agu had on him and others, Dykes recounted a story that took place after Cal's football team lost to Washington last season. In his office watching film the next day, Dykes noticed Agu pacing outside his office.
"I said, ‘Hey Ted, what's going on?," Dykes said. "He said, ‘Do you got a second?' I said, ‘Sure.' He walked in and closed the door and said, ‘Coach, I just want you to know that I got your back and we're behind you.' For a young man to tell a grown man that and the impact it had on me, that tells all of you everything you need to know about Ted."
DL Austin Clark and Brennan Scarlett also shared some personal, moving testimonials, including some shared by
"Ted taught us all selflessness," Clark said. "It didn't matter what you needed help with or what you were doing. If you called Ted, he stopped what he was doing and helped you out. The best way for everyone on this campus to honor Ted is by putting in the work, by taking no days off, by doing whatever it takes to be the best at whatever they're doing, whether it be athletically or academically."
Scarlett said he spent many late nights with Agu at the athletic study center, and Agu gave him a lesson about hard work.
"I'd be ready to leave and he'd just want to finish one last problem," Scarlett said. "I got the car and I'd tell him that I'm leaving. He either knew that I wasn't going to leave him, or he just didn't care. I would sit back down and finish my problem. That work I was going to put off until tomorrow, I'd finish that night.
"I found myself making excuses why I can't be the best in school or the best I can be in athletics because there is so much to balance. Ted helped me get rid of all those excuses."
The school has chosen to honor Ted with the creation of the Ted Agu Memorial Scholarship fund, a scholarship endowment for student-athletes, and are currently accepting donations for it.
Not to take anything away from Ted, but there were also two fascinating profiles of former Cal football figures that could have anchored any other Golden Nugget:
UC Berkeley/Cal Athletics
- Vote for KALX as the best college radio station!
- Coaches Sonny Dykes and Mike Montgomery rank pretty low among the Pac-12's football and basketball duos
Men's Gymnastics
- Donothan Bailey is nominated for the Nissen Emery Award!
Women's Water Polo
Women's Basketball
- Brittany Boyd is a finalist for the Lieberman Award!
Congrats to @adifferent1five named Lieberman finalist.The stats are impressive,but more than anything she's a winner. pic.twitter.com/UdbkQcw9qL
— Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) February 25, 2014
- Afure Jemerigbe must have had a unique birthday thanks to her cake from Southwest
Afure was presented with this 22nd "birthday cake" by the Southwest crew on our flight back to Oakland. pic.twitter.com/Q2If26L9w3
— Cal Basketball (@CalWBBall) February 24, 2014
Men's Basketball
- A last-minute surge pushed the Golden Bears (18–9, 9–5 Pac-12) past the Trojans
- The Bear Blog takes a look at the contributions from our freshmen in the win over USC
- Press conference interviews with Mike Montgomery and Jabari Bird
Women's Swimming and Diving
- High-caliber recruits like Missy Franklin and Rachel Bootsma are drawn to Cal thanks Teri McKeever building her program on family, respect, and the reputations of its alumni
- The top-ranked Bears are headed to the Pac-12 Championships
Volleyball
Football
- Our thanks to the Cincinnati Bearcats football program for their condolences
Want to send thanks to @Bearcats_FB for their support for our team. #BrothersInArms pic.twitter.com/WqVFcRbQ3p
— Donovan Frazer (@d_fraz61) February 24, 2014
- According to Athlon Sports, the Pac-12's best LBs of the BCS era include the Mychal Kendricks, Zack Follett, and Desmond Bishop
- According to Pacific Takes, the Pac-12's best RBs of the BCS era only include Marshawn Lynch and J.J. Arrington
- At the NFL Combine, LB Khairi Fortt tied for first among LBs in the bench press. DL Deandre Coleman performed the bench press, but not any other measurable events.
- Could Rodgers-to-Rodgers be a thing for the Packers?
