08-13-2017, 01:19 AM
Latavius Murray: Late best friend ‘will be looking down’ when he finally takes field for the Vikings
When Latavius Murray and Jonathan Diaz met two decades ago, they weren’t exactly fast friends.The two were classmates in kindergarten in Onondaga, N.Y., which borders Syracuse. One day, tensions boiled over.
“We had a fight, and our parents said, ‘Hey, you guys need to make up,’ ’’ Murray said. “And from that moment, our relationship just kicked off. He became like a brother to me.”
Murray and Diaz were best friends throughout their school years. At Onondaga High School, Murray was the star halfback and Diaz led the way as his blocking fullback. When Murray was taken in the sixth round of the 2013 draft by Oakland and made the NFL, he saw Diaz whenever he could, often flying him to Raiders games.
Then came Nov. 24, 2016, early Thanksgiving morning. Diaz was shot to death at age 26 during a dispute over a woman at a Syracuse bar. The news hit Murray hard. He flew home the following week and, choking up, spoke at his best friend’s funeral...
http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/04/lat...e-vikings/
