Maxwell "Max" Andrew Tuerk was a force to be reckoned with. The first-born son of Valerie and Gregory Tuerk, he came into the world on January 27, 1994 at a whopping 9 lbs, 8 oz, ready to make his mark.

Max never met a sport he didn't like.From a young age, he was active in karate, soccer, basketball, and baseball, but football ultimately became his passion.Max started as a Pop Warner player and later became a standout at Santa Margarita High School, leading his team to a state championship. His dedication to becoming the absolute best that he could be led to his selection as an Army All American his senior year and many offers for college football scholarships, culminating in an offer from USC, which was the fulfillment of a dream that he had secretly carved into his desk as a middle-schooler.Once again, he excelled: Max had the distinction of starting as a true freshman, and proved his versatility by playing every position on the offensive line. Admired and respected by his teammates as a determined, hardworking leader, he was voted team captain his junior and senior years.Max's versatility and athleticism led to him becoming a third round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers.

Max was known to many as a gentle giant; despite his size, he was amazingly kindhearted and was a fiercely loyal friend. His smile and his laugh were so infectious and could cheer anyone up.When he hugged someone, they felt safe and loved in his arms.He was extremely protective, and could always be relied on to "have your back."

Max loved his family, especially his siblings, Drake, Abby and Natalie.He was the leader of the Tuerk squad; the mentor and protector.He enjoyed grilling for the family with his dad and taking daily hikes with his mom.His fiercely competitive spirit spilled into his family time and he loved games of all sorts, especially pool and darts.As all who knew Max can attest, he LOVED to eat and appreciated good food; it was a true pleasure to cook for him.

To say that Max will be missed is an understatement. His passing on June 20th left a giant-size hole in the hearts of his parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a multitude of loving friends, coaches and teammates.Remember Max when you see a beautiful sunset or enjoy a day at beach.Max left us too soon, but he will live on in our memories. He will be the voice in the back of our minds, urging us to fight on and to be the best that we can be.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Max's name to https://concussionfoundation.org/give-online or https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Donate-to-NAMI

We are hoping to create an endowment at SMCHSfor a Max Tuerk athletic scholarship to forever honor his legacy.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/max-tuerk?sharetype=teams&member=4799698&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=44bab76255cb4f80863124e0ae28f434