Loved ones remember former Pine Creek quarterback Tommy Lazzaro

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) - Loved ones in Monument and across the country are remembering 27-year-old Tommy Lazzaro, the former Pine Creek High School quarterback who led his team to two state championships.

According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, Tommy Lazzaro died in a hunting accident in Florida this past weekend where he was stationed in the Army.

Tommy’s high school football coach told KRDO13 he was a hard worker who put his heart into everything he did, whether it was winning football games or everything else he accomplished since he moved on from Pine Creek. 

“I am a better person because of getting to know Tommy and having to coach him,” Former Pine Creek High School Football Head Coach, Todd Miller told KRDO13. “He always had a smile on his face – he was always the guy that kind of picked everybody up.”

Tommy had drive and a solid sense of humor, according to Coach Miller.

“He was a tough kid. Our defense wore black shirts and the only people that could wear them were the defense. So he stole one out of a defensive player’s locker and wore it out to practice and then went in front of the coaches and said ‘you know I deserve a black shirt,’” Todd laughed as he recalled. “That’s the type of kid he was – he was just a competitor and he was always willing to stir the pot.”

After winning back-to-back state championships in 2013 and 2014, Tommy later landed the starting quarterback position at Central Michigan University.

Like many who call Southern Colorado home, he grew up in a military family and later followed suit, eventually becoming a sergeant in the Army according to his former university.

“That didn’t surprise me one bit. Those guys are hooked up different and Tommy was different," said Miller.