CHARLOTTE — Signing an NFL contract should be a time of great celebration for any player.
But for new Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, the only thing he could muster was that his news offered a brief moment of happiness for his parents, a small glimmer of joy in a time of deep sadness for their entire family.
Luvu came into the Panthers' facility Tuesday dressed casually but wearing a reminder of the man he could never forget. The 24-year-old linebacker had a large button pinned to his shirt which read: "Rest in Jesus — Till We Meet Again. Frazier Luvu. Sunrise July 9, 1986, Sunset March 6, 2021."
Frazier was the oldest of Veresa and Faaloiloia Luvu's eight children. Frankie is the youngest.
Frankie recalled being with his brother the week before his death, speaking slowly but plainly about the grief.
"I've lost teammates, I've lost an uncle, but losing a brother that I looked up to and molded myself to be like, everything he did I wanted to imitate, . . . It was hard, it was really hard," Luvu said. "I was in Arizona when it happened, I was by myself, I didn't have any family around me, I was out there for training.
"It was really hard, I didn't work out, I didn't feel like eating, I felt stuck."
Luvu explained that his brother took his own life, a shattering bit of news he was still processing, and which made his joining a new team more difficult to enjoy.
"Yeah, it's hard talking about it now," he said. "Just knowing he's not going to be here is hard. At the end of the day, I want to make him proud."
The family was together last weekend for the funeral in Seattle. The togetherness was necessary, the balm they required. The absence of one, however, will take much longer to recover from, and it made the contract offer from the Panthers hard to concentrate on.
That's what he was doing Tuesday, moving quickly through his paperwork, taking a physical, signing his contract, and getting on another cross-country flight. Luvu had to get back to his parents, as they try to figure out each day how to take their next steps.
"The whole family was all together," Luvu said. "That's the thing, when we're together, we were all happy. But once everyone started going back to their own routine, . . . Mom and Dad, we just tried to make sure they were OK.
"It gave them a little bit of a spark when I told them the news. They thought I was leaving for good (Monday). I told them, no I'm just going for work, I'll be right back. I just want to try to keep their spirits as high as I can."
As hard as that may be right now, Luvu said he wanted to honor his brother's memory as he enters a new chapter of his career.
"It was a tough weekend," he said. "At the end of the day, I had to switch my mindset and think about what I needed to do and what he would want me to do, which is take care of the family."
Luvu called his new job here "a blessing," though blessings can be hard to see during a time of sorrow.
But when Frankie Luvu walked in, he walked in with his brother Frazier near to his heart — taking another small step together on a journey of healing, knowing there's no map, and only time.
View photos of linebacker Frankie Luvu during his time with the Jets from 2018-20.
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu reacts after a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert (6) evades New York Jets' Frankie Luvu (59) during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (59) on the sidelines during an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 in Philadelphia. (NFL Photos via AP)
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, right, is sacked by New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) carries the American flag onto the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) and strong safety Jamal Adams (33) celebrate after a play against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) celebrates after a play against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu walks on the sideline in the first half of an NFL football game between the Jets and the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) celebrates after tackling Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, back right, during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, is tackled by New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu, center, as offensive tackle David Bakhtiari looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Clayton Thorson (8) is rushed by New York Jets' Frankie Luvu (50) during the first half of a preseason NFL football game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass over New York Jets' Frankie Luvu (50) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) reacts with teammates in the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) smiles at teammates before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, November 22, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu si pictured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 40-3. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) and inside linebacker Harvey Langi (44) run around the edge during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) in action during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
New York Jets linebacker Frankie Luvu (50) prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
