Can you put true friendship into words?
There are many possible definitions, but the reactions of nine former University of Michigan football players to their teammate and close friend's devastating loss the day after Christmas could best define it.
John Spytek, a tri-captain on the Wolverines' 2003 Big Ten championship team, and his wife, Kristen, a Michigan graduate, lost their daughter, Evelyn Grace, on Dec. 26. She died three months shy of her second birthday from complications due to CMV-related surgery. CMV is cytomegalovirus, a common virus that weakens the immune system.
It was a stunner for them all during what was supposed to be the season of good cheer.