Then on September 21, 2010, Brendan – who became a Navy SEAL after graduating from the Naval Academy – was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan 10 days before his expected return to the United States.
“I think all of us while at the Academy, knew the realities of war and combat, but at the same time, you couldn’t necessarily put an immediate face to it until you have someone close to you that is taken because of the conflict,” Sean said. “And Travis was that person in our class. And then Brendan again, it’s like hearing a superhero was killed because he was just that sort of presence, being that you just assumed he was indestructible. So, it was the reality of mortality.”
Now in Sean’s first season in the NFL, serving as Bears chief of staff, he will honor both Brendan and Travis as part of the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative. In Sunday’s game against the Packers at Soldier Field, Magee will wear a pair of custom shoes, representing both the Travis Manion Foundation and Brendan Looney Foundation.
Travis’ family created TMF shortly after his passing to carry on his legacy. The Travis Manion Foundation “empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations” through nationwide programs, training opportunities and events.
With a similar mission, The Brendan Looney Foundation “works to honor the lives our brave heroes by creating opportunities to improve the quality of life of families and individuals throughout the military community.” BLF provides educational and camp scholarships, assistance programs, awards, grants and more to “enrich the lives of our U.S. military families.”
“After Travis was killed, his sister and family started the Travis Manion Foundation, which has really morphed into an incredible organization across the country,” Sean said. “Travis wrote a letter to his dad sometime before passing on that deployment realizing, if you ask the question, ‘why are we doing this, what are we doing this for?’ and Travis posed, ‘if not me, then who to be able to answer that sort of call?’
“So that became the motto of the Travis Manion Foundation: ‘If not me, then who?’ They work across the country with youth, with organizations educating on character matters, so for me, it’s an absolute honor to represent not only the life and legacy of both Travis and Brendan, but also the foundations that continue to do incredible things.
“Brendan’s foundation, the motto is his life credo: be strong, be accountable and…
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