Jets’ Laken Tomlinson driven by loss of first-born daughter

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Pro Football Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson cries before every game thinking about the daughter his family lost three years ago. The memory of Claire Abigail’s death just 18 days after she was born still motivates him. The grief remains raw and painful. Tomlinson has only recently begun talking about the loss he and his wife suffered. He tells The Associated Press he’s not sure where he’d be right now if not for the support of family and close friends. Tomlinson is a long-time mental health advocate who has had a fascinating and sometimes painful journey from the cricket and soccer fields of Jamaica to the NFL gridiron.