This is my favorite song form Kyle's break through Album "Anger Management". This song is about a 16 year All Pro Linemen from the Pittsburgh Steelers Justin Strzelczyk . We now know that he was suffering from CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) which is degenerative condition of the Brain hitting more and more football players...especially linemen who take tens of thousands of sub-concussive blows in their careers. The Damage in many leads to depression, insanity, dementia, hallucinations, and eventually to suicide. Justin was one of the first cases diagnosed after his death. This Disease, CTE, is a killer. Turley himself has expressed concerns about the possibility he could become a victim of this problem. This is a very heart felt song for a Pittsburgh great... and his end.. his tragic end is documented below. This from a 2004 Article by a writer struggling to understand what happened to him. Read this and then listen to the song and you will understand more about the words and music that Kyle Turley brought to together to make this beautiful song... "Final Drive".
THE FINAL HOURS:
Police uncovered a receipt that showed Strzelczyk was in Pittsburgh about 5:30 p.m., Sept. 29. Horan now suspects Strzelczyk was headed for the Adirondack Mountains, perhaps the "higher grounds" he mentioned.
Dr. Jim Doran, a Western New York native who practices medicine in Pittsburgh and befriended the offensive tackle three years ago, thought Strzelczyk was unraveling about 6 p.m. that day and pleaded with him to get help. Strzelczyk refused.
"He was very troubled," Doran said. "He was having what amounts to an acute psychotic episode or an acute manic state. He had pressured speech, hallucinations and delusional thoughts. It was pretty sad. I felt that if he got into trouble, he would have been sent to a psychiatric center to be evaluated. It would have been the right place."
At 2:30 a.m., Strzelczyk began his final journey. A woman told police investigators that Strzelczyk approached her at a service station at about 6:30 a.m. outside Rochester, asked whether she believed in God and told her she needed to take her family to higher grounds. Strzelczyk also attempted to give a stranger $3,000. When the man refused, Strzelczyk paid for his gasoline.
A short time later, someone reported Strzelczyk rammed two cars from behind on the Thruway driving at least 70 mph and passed others by driving through grass and dirt along the highway's shoulder. That started the police chase. For some 35 miles, he was traveling in the right direction.
If he wanted to kill himself, he had hundreds of opportunities. For 4.8 miles, after he drove across the Thruway median, he headed directly into morning traffic. Speeding some 90 mph the wrong way, he met the curve and steep slope. Seconds later, he smashed into the tanker.
"There were a lot of places Justin could have stopped or made a choice to do something different," State Police Investigator James Hunt said. "The question is: Why did he choose to do otherwise? From everything his family and friends said, there was something going on inside his head that we'll never understand."
His mother and many others are left wondering. She holds dear a bloodstained crucifix that dangled near his heart before he died. It's a simple piece of evidence of what happened to Justin Strzelczyk. It leaves more questions and very few answers.
"I don't know," she said. "Maybe he thought he was going to be taken into heaven. He wasn't in his right mind. That's the bottom line."
Watch This Video on You Tube About his Death!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYGPyUzifN0&feature=related
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Kyle Turley - Flyin' Helmets (Live in Denver, CO)by gridironrecords3,469 views
I graduated with Justin from West Seneca West High School in 1986. I didn't know much of him other than passing him a few times in the hallway or having a gym class. He seemed like a nice guy. My yearbook picture of him shows he weighs around 170 pounds. Wondering if he ever got into steroids. Hard to believe anyone could get that big without help of some "juice". Either way, it's a sad story. I'm just glad he was the only fatality that day and no one else. RIP.
Richaag 3 weeks ago
Wow... I had no clue. That's so sad.
sidnomis1 4 months ago
What a GREAT song. Thank you for trying to heighten the awareness of post concussion syndrome and head injuries that take a big toll on the human body especially later on in life. I feel so sad for all of the forgotten NFL stars, who were once loved and adored by the fans. I wish the fans would unite to help them. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is one solution that needs to be offered to all of them. This is a good cause to sing about. Bless you. Sincerely saddened, Juliette
NYCJuliette 1 year ago