These are the worst types of stories that we have to write. I sit here at my computer, and I’m honestly not sure where to begin. So, I guess I’ll go back to what I know.

I did not know Wes Rucker personally, but I knew him through his work product and what he put out of himself on social media. I have followed him and his coverage for decades. And from that, I very much liked Wes Rucker and the yeoman’s work he did providing top-notch coverage of Tennessee athletics.

The way he went about expressing himself on Twitter was unique, and for many — myself included — it often gave me a chuckle and a smile. Whether he was dropping a very late update from General Neyland’s Big Ol’ Damn House of Football or getting off a one-liner that made you spit your drink out, he was truly one of a kind in the media world.

His death is hard to process. Life is fragile, and what happened to him could happen to anybody at any point in time. I can’t begin to imagine the grief that his family is dealing with at the moment. I am sick for them.

But for those looking for something to do, right now, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes says to pray for his family. Barnes met with the media on Friday morning, and the first thing he did was address Rucker’s passing with a heartfelt message.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes remembers Wes Rucker and asks for prayers for his family

“Before we get started, as you know, we lost a friend and a colleague yesterday in Wes Rucker. Just heartbreaking, it really is. It’s just heartbreaking, and our hearts and prayers go out to Lauren, his son Hank, and the one that’s on the way, and we just ask that God will place a holy edge of protection around his entire family.

“Wes was a wonderful person. He was really a wonderful guy. Covered athletics here for, what, a quarter of a century? Such a part of the UT family and the sports family here in Knoxville. We just ask today at some point you say a prayer for Wes and his family, and I know, again, that we’re going to miss him dearly. He loved what he did. He loved his family. I’m just thankful that God allowed him to be a part of my life for the last eleven years.

“Again, today at some point in time, I just pray that you pray for his family.”

For those who are able, a Go Fund Me account has been set up for Rucker’s family by his sister, Molly, which can be found here. There has also been a Meal Train page set up for his family.

Wes Rucker was 43 years old.