A Big Hart: Coaches and friends remember Whitworth football player who died on the Fourth of July

A little after midnight on the Fourth of July, Tanner Hart was on a skateboard being towed by a golf cart. According to a news release from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the skateboard he was riding struck the tire of the golf cart and sent Hart off his board.

Hart's head struck the ground and he was pronounced dead soon after, despite numerous attempts to save his life.

While fireworks marked the end of the 20-year-old football player's life, his friends, coaches and teammates say his legacy will never die.

Matthew Spurbeck was 5 years old the first time he met Hart. The two attended Sumner High School in Sumner, Washington, played football together and were widely considered to be best friends.

Spurbeck, who currently plays football at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon, said his friend would answer anyone's call at any time of day. He was one of a kind, Spurbeck said, and never got mad or upset at anyone or anything.

"He had a story of connection with so many people because of the way he lived his life to the fullest," Spurbeck said via text message.

Spurbeck said one of his favorite memories with Hart was the first time they went to the Tapps Island Garage Sale. The annual event has hundreds of garage sales around the community Hart once called home. Spurbeck said as they made their way from house to house, almost everyone stopped to talk to Hart. He had a kind and infectiously positive attitude that made people gravitate to him.

Hart even had a nickname that many people called him: "Muffin."

"He looked like a muffin as a little kid is what his sister would say," Spurbeck said.

Two years ago, when Hart first met his Whitworth teammate, Drew Cody, Hart introduced himself as "Muffin." Cody described Hart as "the most high-on-life person" he's had the pleasure of meeting.

"One of those guys that would just walk into your room unannounced just to say 'Hi,' and check up on you," Cody said. "The definition of a great human being. He impacted hundreds of people throughout his life. In his hometown of Sumner, he was a celebrity. Everyone knows his name. His legend will live on."

Cody said he didn't know Hart before coming to Whitworth, but since they were from neighboring towns, he knew of him. At college, no matter what they were doing, Cody said , Hart made it fun.

Another Whitworth teammate, Kurt Solano, called his offensive lineman the kind of guy who lived life to the fullest. While Solano said he only knew Hart for a couple of years, he was always "down-to-Earth, genuine and uplifting to be around."

The team intends to carry his memory with them and play with a purpose this year, Solano said.

"He was a light to the people around him and brought joy, energy and positivity wherever he went," Solano said via text message. "He was the type of person who could make a room better just by being in it."

The first time Keith Ross, the football coach at Sumner High School, met Hart, he had "white-blondish hair, a big face and a happy smile." He was an enthusiastic freshman and Ross knew right away that he was going to be a great addition to the team.

"People ask me, 'Was he a great player?' " Ross said. "And I'm like, 'No, he wasn't a great player, but he was a great teammate.' He was a servant leader. The biggest thing that he did in our team is he just led, he served us, and nothing was beneath him and he treated everyone fairly and nicely."

Ross commended Hart not only on his kind disposition and caring attitude, but also on his work ethic.

As a sophomore in high school, Hart watched as many of his closest friends, including Spurbeck, grew into star roles on the team. Hart didn't necessarily desire to be a star, but he did want to be a starter.

"His sophomore year, he said, 'Coach, I'm going to work so hard and I'm going to earn a starting spot one day,'" Ross said. "At the time I was thinking in my mind, 'OK we'll see.' But he did."

Over the course of three years, Hart grew bigger and stronger. He developed his footwork and worked so hard that a starting spot his senior year became not only a possibility, but a sure thing.

Then he got the chance to play football at a collegiate level, proving that hard work and dedication really does pay off.

Ross said he was on a family vacation in Lake Chelan when he heard of Hart's accident. He and his wife immediately rushed back to Sumner . Not a word was spoken, nor a song played, on their way back.

Ross only saw flashbacks from his time with Hart. One of those memories occurred during Hart's senior year when Ross' mother, who was a huge part of the program for 28 years, died in the middle of their season.

"I remember Tanner coming to me and checking to see if I was OK," Ross said. "He was doing it because he actually cared if I was OK. He wasn't doing it for any alternative motive. He wasn't trying to brown-nose me or try to start. He just actually cared. He saw that I was hurting, and he cared enough to come and sit with me like he was the adult."

A vigil to honor Hart was organized last minute on Monday night, Ross said. More than 400 people showed up to remember the young man who touched countless people's lives.

His legacy, Ross said, is how he treated people, the kind of teammate and leader he was, and the difference he made simply by caring about others.

"These football players are tough boys, you know," Ross said. "But I let them know that it's OK that you're sad and devastated. You can cry, and you can hug each other, and you can tell each other you love each other. That's what Tanner would have done."

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