In the days after the attacks, when time seemed to stand still, Prior said that one of his fears was being the one to discover the remains of someone he knew. There were four firefighters from his Corona firehouse who lost their lives.
Shortly after the attacks, the NFL suspended play until Sept. 23. Before the return to play, Prior secured caps with "FDNY," "NYPD" and "Port Authority" emblazoned on the front that were distributed to players and staff ahead of the game against the Patriots in Foxborough, MA.
"To have football again was the first step in getting back to normalcy," Prior said. "Just to have football again and realize this is America's pastime. That Sunday I got to the game at about 8 a.m. It was really a somber place. I got as many T-shirts as I could from my firehouse and gave them to the guys who wore them during warmups. I gave a red one to [Wayne] Chrebet with the Corona Tigers on it.
"I think most of the guys knew I was a fireman. They were patting me on the back. At that moment I'm not just a truck driver, I'm part of this."
"Joe Andruzzi [a retired Pats offensive lineman] has three brothers who are firefighters and when he came running out waving American flags the crowd really got into it. It got everyone pumped, it was a great feeling. The teams stood together, like never before."
Part of Prior's legacy -- as a valued member of the Jets family for nearly four decades and as a long-time member of the FDNY -- is knowing that his three proud sons have followed in his footsteps.
"It's an amazing feeling," he said. "The pride I have as a fireman to have my kids ... it's an overwhelming sense of pride."
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The Driver | A Hero's 9/11 Story - newyorkjets.com
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