These are the days.

The moments where memories are made. For father and son.

"I’m blessed to be in this position where my dad is coaching me,"Jesuit senior linebacker Brett Gerena said.

"I wouldn’t trade it for the world," Joe Gerena said. "I get one opportunity to raise him and I wouldn’t go back on this and change anything about it."

Jesuit Tigers offensive coordinator Joe Gerena has a front row seat for his son Brett’s senior season. The duo has a unique bond that extends off the football field.

"He’ll ask me after the games, sometimes, how did I play?" Joe Gerena said. "As a coach, I saw that you could have done this or could have done that or nine times out of 10 I’ve got to tell him, I don’t know, I’ve got to go back and watch the film. As a dad, I’m proud, you played hard, you know all that good stuff. I’m always proud of him because he always plays so hard."

So how does a former Armwood High quarterback raise a linebacker?

"Day one, he tried to line up a wide receiver and I said after one practice, no, you gotta go over to the defensive side," Joe Gerena said. "He played linebacker and it’s just that mentality. He plays so hard and that’s the one thing you can’t teach a kid is the effort."

There is something the two have in common. Their love of Army football. Joe Gerena went from Seffner, Fla. and the Armwood Hawks in the mid 1990’s to West Point where he starred for the Black Knights. That commitment to team and country is a source of pride few have experienced.

"It’s something I would do 1,000 times over," he said.

Brett Gerena grew up on stories of his dad’s glory days and when it came time to commit, it was an easy decision.

"I knew in my gut it was West Point," Brett said. "I see the brotherhood. I’m going where my dad went, it just really brings out, like, just proud, I’m proud to be his son."

Brett’s freshman year at West Point will coincide with Joe’s 20-year reunion.

"To go through there and point out, hey Brett, that was my room, that was my barracks up there and that’s where I used to hang out and everything," Joe said. "I think he gets goosebumps every time he goes up there too."

Want goosebumps? Joe Gerena’s celebrating a Veteran’s Day and one day soon, so will his son.

"That really brings the goosebumps, like, just thinking about that one day I will be serving my country," Brett said. "That’s what really brought me there because I want to be a leader."

"I’ll see a veteran wearing his hat and I make sure, whether we’re in a Walmart or Publix or wherever we’re at, I’ll go up and shake their hand and thank them," Joe said. "I’m so grateful."