When you first meet me you’ll learn two things.

I love sports and I love my two brothers.

Somewhere in between conversations of the 2006 Tigers or Michigan State’s latest Final Four run, you’ll inevitably learn about two of the most important people in my life, my brothers Brian and Jeff.

Being the older brother a great thing. Despite having to face all the wrath of your parents, sheltering your younger siblings with all of your mistakes, you get to be a trailblazer. You are the first to get through high school. to go to college and to make many of life’s big decisions.

With this comes great responsibilities. Teaching them life necessities like how to throw a curve ball, or the proper way to hold a football to avoid fumbling. Opening their ears to the great music of Stephen Kellogg or the showing them that Field of Dreams really is the best baseball movie of all time.

As the oldest you get to see your younger siblings grow into adults and navigate life. You get to be proud of who they have become and the trials and tribulations they have overcome.

One such moments happened earlier this month when my brother graduated from Michigan State. After a somewhat winding road, Jeff finished his degree in education and I got to be in the stands of the Breslin Center to see it happen.

It made me think about my graduation 4 years earlier. I remember how excited I was I was actually getting a college degree, something I never thought I would get earlier in my life. I remember being proud walking across that stage to get a piece of paper.

Yet those feelings didn’t match what I felt watching Jeff get his diploma. I got chills and teary eyed as he walked and received his stand-in diploma, smiling the whole time. Jeff’s journey wasn’t the easiest road. He started in community college and worked on an assembly line to make money for school. He transferred to State and worked midnights while taking a full class load, getting a 3.6 just to show off.

Next year he’ll student teach and then go on to educate and change the lives of hundreds if not thousands of students. And I’ll get to be the proud older brother the whole time.