Chad Michael Murray grew up in Buffalo, New York, alongside three brothers, a sister, and a half-brother. His father, Rex, became his sole guardian after Murray’s mother left the family when he was 10. “I idolize my father,” Murray shared with Seventeen. “He took care of all … of us and raised us well. He would be so tired, and he would help us study to make sure that we got the grades that we wanted. He was never hard on us.” Even with a solid source of strength from his dad, Murray was still targeted by bullies. “I had my two front teeth knocked out by a sixth grader in first grade,” the star once said, per Us Weekly. “My house got egged… I hated high school. I didn’t have any friends, because I didn’t fit in.”
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As he got older, Murray became a sports star. He added soccer, hockey, and volleyball to his resume throughout high school, but it was football that called to him most. His sophomore year, he had to take a break from playing after he sustained a major stomach injury. Murray recalled to Seventeen, “I was in the hospital for two and then out of school for two.” That injury didn’t pull the plug on his high school football career entirely, however, and he ended up even playing in the championship game when he was senior.
