I never had the chance to meet John Mark Stallings, but his life – and that of his father – has had a great impact on my family.

I first photographed Gene Stallings while working for the Decatur Daily during the 1994-96 seasons. My greatest failing as a photographer was not getting a shot of Coach Stallings during his final game at Alabama. I hadn’t heard he was retiring, so I had no special reason to shoot a photo of him at the end of the game. I am still kicking myself over that personal fiasco.

In 2007, my wife and I had our last child, a little boy we named Reece. He was born with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder where the 21st pair of chromosomes picks up an extra chromosome. Reece was an absolutely amazing child. I can say without reservation that he taught me more about love in his short life than I had learned in all my life before.

Johnny Stallings passed away in August 2008, and in November the town of Hartselle – where my family lived at the time – dedicated the Special Needs Accessible Playground in Johnny’s honor. Coach Stallings was the guest speaker, and after his remarks he asked for all the special-needs children to come up and have a photo taken with him.

I held Reece in my arms and he clung tightly to me. He was at that phase most kids go through when they don’t want anyone but mom or dad. Then Reece saw Coach Stallings. He turned toward him and extended his pudgy little arms. I will never forget the look on Stallings’ face. He took Reece into his arms and he touched his forehead to Reece’s. A friend took a picture of that precise moment.

I stood crying as I watched that brief exchange. I had no idea I had less than a year left with my son. Reece passed away unexpectedly in the very early morning hours of September 27, 2009. There are no words to express the pain one feels when a child dies. It is an experience I would not wish on the worst person to ever live.

The only way to make it through such trials is to lean on friends, because you certainly can’t stand on your own. Gene Stallings proved to be one of those friends. I know he couldn’t have been aware of our loss. We lived in Hartselle and he lived in Texas, but he found out and called our house. I was not there are the time. My pastor had me out trying to do what pastors do in such times. My wife took the call and heard the comforting words of a man who had lost not only a child, but a child with Down syndrome.

Seeing Stallings at Bryant-Denny Stadium this past Saturday brought it all back to me. I know he couldn’t have remembered me out of the thousands upon thousands of people he met over the ensuing years, but I had to go up and shake his hand and try to say thank you. I got choked up and the words just wouldn’t come out and all I could do was say “thank you” and then pull back as he was driven off the field in a golf cart.

Gene Stallings is an Alabama football legend. I know this, but I do not think that is what has made him a great man: He is a great man because he learned to love, and I am willing to bet his very special son taught him to love just as my very special son taught me to love.