DACULA, Ga. – There is a moment before each game when Colten Gauthier pick up the helmet, take a look at the back and pat it. He will take a deep breath, take a moment to organize his thoughts and then throw his hair back before putting on the cap to go into battle.
Right next to brown # 4 with a gold outline on the back of his white Hebron Christian Academy helmet are two shiny tapes – one orange, one green. They represent two important models in his life, both deceased.
Colten is a thoughtful young man who signed on to play football at college in South Carolina. He is close to his family – his mother, father and sister – who are his biggest fans. But there are others in his family who have made Colten the person he has become.
There is Steve Gauthier, who is the brother of Colten’s father’s stepfather, whom Colten calls only his uncle. There is James Allman, his grandfather on the mother’s side. Steve, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, died in August when he contracted the Coronavirus. James, who had several types of cancer, died when Colten was just 10 years old, but it had a lasting impact on the young man’s life.
When Colten tosses his hair back and puts on his helmet, he is not trying to show off to the cheerleaders. These are the moments before he prepares to go to the field when he is looking for those tapes that are special to him.
“Having these two tapes on my helmet always reminds me that football is bigger than me,” Gauthier told TheBigSpur.com. “It always has been and always will be. These guys are a big reason for who I do it. Before the games, I take off my helmet, look at him and thank him and I feel blessed before I leave the tunnel and go on the pitch.”
Steve, who lived near UCF, followed every detail of Colten’s football career. He watched the HCA live stream every week and played a game every year. His last was Homecoming 2019, and he saw Colten throw four touchdowns that night in a 49-21 victory over the Riverside Military Academy.
Watching Colten play football was special for Steve, but one of Gamecock’s enduring memories of his uncle came from Steve’s pantry in Florida. Looking for something to eat, like any growing boy, Colten found some Ziploc bags full of goodies that he had doubts about.
“There were some plastic bags with snacks, drinks, money and a prayer card. I wondered what it was and he explained to me that they take them everywhere and distribute them to the homeless. He was always so genuine. I always try to have a generous heart because I know that I am extremely blessed. He’s a family man and that’s what you want to be as a man. He was a great father, a great husband and was always there for people. “
Steve had plans to come to Dacula, Georgia, this year, to see his nephew in person. Colten’s aunt Holly made the trip and saw him launch a pair of touchdown passes in a 17-13 victory in late September.
“He was one of the nicest people you have ever met. He was a great guy, a man of God, a big influence for me and my dad. “
James, his mother’s father, had several illnesses, but Colten uses an orange ribbon that raises awareness about leukemia. Colten describes their relationship as “very close” and recalls the memories of games they played when he was younger.
They would always find a way to have fun, and there was always a reminder of when they were leaving.
“When I was a kid, I loved Star Wars and watched the movie for the first time with him when I was very young. We had Lego Star Wars and we were going to build them, and we had an Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure. Every time he came to visit me or I went to visit him, we hid it. I would hide him in his suitcase and he would find him when he got home and unpacked. He would come back and hide it where I found it, and we would do it back and forth. “
Almost 10 years later, that Obi-Wan Kenobi is still sitting in Colten’s living room. It’s a reminder for him every day.
“I still think about him a lot, and there are so many memories that I have to thank. Those years were very formative for me and he helped me to become the person I am today. “
Colten is a thoughtful young man who leaves in just a few days to start his career in South Carolina. He’s not likely to be able to use those stickers on the back of his helmet in college in the same way, but these stickers are just a small reminder. before he entered the football field.
While these stickers are tangible, the memories made and lessons learned from Steve and James are always with Colten.