Vikings' Greenway Honors His Dad On First Father's Day Without Him
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - You won't find many athletes more involved in the community than Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway.
His charity work through his "Lead the Way" Foundation earned Greenway the NFL Players Association's highest honor for community service this year, the Byron "Whizzer" White Award.
And he was back at it again Sunday morning, hosting his ninth annual Father's Day 5K, the "Gridiron Gallop" at Lake Nokomis.
A day that took on added significance this year, because it was Greenway's first Father's Day without his father.
"Such a nice guy," Greenway said of his father, Alan. "Didn't have an enemy in the world. I mean, there's few of us that can say that. He was definitely one of them…. and a guy you wanted to be around."
Chad Greenway is one of those guys now. Of course, he makes it awfully easy to be around him, as much time as he spends in the community.
"You're here being a player and trying to take care of your football business, but you want leave a mark in something else too," Greenway said. "And so you don't want to just come here and reap all the benefits and not give something back."
Of course, Greenway credits his father for that mindset.
"In everybody's case, you kind of (act), you know, how you're taught," Greenway said. "Try to be that guy that kids can look to and say, hey there's a good example of somebody I want to be like."
That's how Greenway looked at his dad. And that's what he lost when he lost his dad in December, after watching him battle leukemia for more than two years.
"Always supportive," Greenway said. "He was just always there for us. Every step of the way."
So this, being Greenway's first Father's Day without his father, was difficult.
"Yeah it's been an emotional week," Greenway said. "And I think it'll continue to be an emotional next couple days. It's certainly been difficult. (I) try not to think about it, just because it is difficult, but at the same time on Father's Day you're trying to remember him, and especially with my kids, just trying to continue to bring him up and speak about him and all the great things he was all about."
Now with three girls of his own, Greenway is trying to be about those things himself.
"Father's Day, this is the day for us," Greenway said. "This is the day we hang our hat on as dads. So (after the 5K run) I'm going to coach two baseball games – both my older ones play baseball. And that's what it's all about. Football is what I do but it's certainly not who I am. And I don't want that to define me in any way. Good, bad, or indifferent, as far as a player goes. I want to be something bigger than that – be a dad and a husband and then do charity work and do stuff that supersedes yourself."
You might not have met Alan Greenway, but if you've met Chad – and there's a good chance you have – now you know where he gets it from.
"Everybody liked him," Greenway said. "He had a contagious smile, personality, and (was) a guy you wanted to be around."
Greenway's "Gridiron Gallop" raised money for Minneapolis Parks and Rec athletic programs.
