"Brad Meester didn't have to say a word. The redness around the eyes of the Jaguars center said it all.

Meester will never be the same again. Not as a God-fearing man, as a football player, as a teammate, as a husband, or as a father to his four little girls. No, he will be better in every way possible. Now, more than ever, Meester sees it as his duty.

That's how much of an impact Ed Thomas had on his life.

And if Meester owes anything to the Aplington-Parkersburg High football coach whose casket he carried Monday to its final resting place in Iowa, it's to carry on the values - faith, family, and making this world a better place -that Thomas treasured the most.

As hard as it seems at the moment, with the wounds still fresh from his high school coach being gunned down in the school's weight room on June 24, an introspective Meester believes it's the best way to honor his coach's memory.

Yes, he's as bewildered as everyone else over this senseless tragedy, but the 10-year NFL veteran feels more inclined to reach out to Thomas' alleged killer than to condemn him. Mark Becker, a 24-year-old former player, was charged with murder in Thomas' killing.

"Obviously, there is some anger, wondering why he would do something like this," Meester said during an interview Wednesday. "At the same point, you have to be able to forgive him, too. One thing I think coach [Thomas] would have wanted is for us not to be angry at [Becker] or try to retaliate against him. He would have wanted us to maybe find a way to change his life.

"Thomas always wanted to impact people in a positive way. He was trying to help the kid. I think he would have wanted us to forgive him and try to help him."

Meester, one of four NFL players from his alma mater who served as pallbearers at the funeral, is determined to take whatever positive he can from this nightmare. He's relieved that it wasn't another Columbine, though he fears about how traumatized the 20 high school athletes will be that witnessed the shooting.

Because Thomas was an iconic figure in Parkersburg (population 1,900), winning 292 games and two state championships during his 37 seasons, so much healing needs to take place. Meester's hometown knows all about fixing itself up, having recovered from a tornado last year that killed eight people and left most of the high school in ruins.

"They got through that tornado with the help of coach Thomas, but they also leaned on each other in that tough time," Meester said. "They're going to have to do it again.""