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Craig Allen Long
March 24, 1970 - February 10, 2007
March 24, 1970 - February 10, 2007
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Story written by James Moore, former Salinas neighbor and friend
| "Craig Long, A Difference Maker" As quoted by Rich Gannon, 2002 NFL MVP |
The Craig that we knew was a hard-working, loving and caring, husband, father and friend that lived
across the street and was a family member that was in our home often. In the years that we had the
privilege of knowing him, I never saw him wear a suit and tie. What we both saw was a man that had
the fundamental values that my parents and my wife's parents had instilled in us, even though he was
brought up in a completely different part of the country than us and that made us feel like he was one
of us.
The man we knew got up every morning about 5:45 a.m. and left for work 6:00 a.m. and came home
around 4:00 p.m. a lot of times he would walk to his in-laws and pick up his daughter and walk with her
home in her little car and play with her all the way home.
He was a man that you could see through the big picture window at the front of the house playing peek-
a-boo or hide and seek with his beautiful daughter.
He was the man that said he couldn’t wait for his daughter to start walking, then he couldn't understand
why he asked for her to walk so soon because now he could not keep up with her and start to laugh.
Sometimes, I could see the adventurist and competitive side of Craig, he usually was very laid-back and
relaxed but when it came to sports or the first time he drove my daughter's boyfriends go kart down the
city's streets of Salinas you could see the competitive spirit and drive that was in him.
I remember him telling me that he was going to drive to Phoenix to see his Sooners play Boise and how
excited he was to be able to see his team so close to home. I called him every quarter and left a message
for him , giving him a hard time because it appeared that his Sooners were going to lose, but in the end,
he had the last laugh even though they lost, we both agreed he was there to see in person the most
exciting football game we both could have wished for.
As we all know he loved college football and when he found out that my wife’s older brother was the
offensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers, she became his best phone friend prior to big games trying
to get some type of insider information on the upcoming event.
I thank God that he gave me and my family the opportunity to know him in the short time we had
together.
across the street and was a family member that was in our home often. In the years that we had the
privilege of knowing him, I never saw him wear a suit and tie. What we both saw was a man that had
the fundamental values that my parents and my wife's parents had instilled in us, even though he was
brought up in a completely different part of the country than us and that made us feel like he was one
of us.
The man we knew got up every morning about 5:45 a.m. and left for work 6:00 a.m. and came home
around 4:00 p.m. a lot of times he would walk to his in-laws and pick up his daughter and walk with her
home in her little car and play with her all the way home.
He was a man that you could see through the big picture window at the front of the house playing peek-
a-boo or hide and seek with his beautiful daughter.
He was the man that said he couldn’t wait for his daughter to start walking, then he couldn't understand
why he asked for her to walk so soon because now he could not keep up with her and start to laugh.
Sometimes, I could see the adventurist and competitive side of Craig, he usually was very laid-back and
relaxed but when it came to sports or the first time he drove my daughter's boyfriends go kart down the
city's streets of Salinas you could see the competitive spirit and drive that was in him.
I remember him telling me that he was going to drive to Phoenix to see his Sooners play Boise and how
excited he was to be able to see his team so close to home. I called him every quarter and left a message
for him , giving him a hard time because it appeared that his Sooners were going to lose, but in the end,
he had the last laugh even though they lost, we both agreed he was there to see in person the most
exciting football game we both could have wished for.
As we all know he loved college football and when he found out that my wife’s older brother was the
offensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers, she became his best phone friend prior to big games trying
to get some type of insider information on the upcoming event.
I thank God that he gave me and my family the opportunity to know him in the short time we had
together.