Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Turning tragedy to triumph
When Gross-Matos was just two years old, his biological father drowned while rescuing Yetur after a boating accident. Then at age 11, Gross-Matos' 12-year-old brother Chelal was tragically killed after he was struck by lightning.
Two unthinkable tragedies a decade apart. But since then, Gross-Matos has used those losses as motivation.
"I want to do something better for my family and my mother and that's kind of how I approached it," Gross-Matos said in an interview with the LA Times.
He hasn't done it all on his own, though. Following the loss of Yetur's biological father, Robert Matos married into the family and adopted Gross-Matos. The defensive end told Bleacher Report that meeting Robert is actually the first memory he can recall from his childhood.
"He's my dad. I've never known him as anything else," Gross-Matos said.
His mother, Sakinah, said they don't use the word "stepfather." Instead, Robert is their "superhero" for helping guide the family through tragedy and inspiring Gross-Matos' passion for sports.
"My dad is everything to me," Gross-Matos told Bleacher Report. "He didn't have to be part of my life, didn't have to adopt me. He chose me. That's a powerful thing."