Friends Remember Football Player

Off the field, 15-year-old sophomore Jurelle Davis was quiet, respectful, cerebral—an all-around nice kid and the kind of student every teacher dreams of, his friends and teachers say.

But on the field, the junior varsity defensive back played aggressively, refusing to give up the game he loved despite chronic health problems.

“He was one of the hardest hitters we had, and he pushed himself harder than anyone else,” friend and teammate Vinny Herrera, 15, said. “He’s an inspiration to me. I want to push myself and do the best I can because of him.”

Davis, who after suffering an asthma attack followed by a heart attack at home on Monday, never let on that he’d been battling asthma and Crohn’s disease, Herrera said.

“You would’ve never known from the way he played football,” Herrera said. “He was a quiet person, but funny. Once you got to know him, he was really funny.”

Davis died one day before his school’s big homecoming game.

On Friday afternoon, students paid tribute to Davis while making last-minute preparations for the Homecoming parade by sporting orange wristbands and inking his no. 26 on their arms and legs.

It was a fitting tribute to a teenager whose No. 1 love was football.

 “He was an undersized kid who had health issues his whole life,” head football coach Ryan Gomes said. “But he loved the game so much, he never wanted to give it up.

“I talked to his mom and dad, and they said the one thing he absolutely loved was being out on the football field with his brothers and teammates…He was absolutely aggressive on the field. He played hard, and let it all out on the field.”

Social studies teacher James Summers described Davis as a respectful young man, who was an active participant in his World History class.

“It was a pleasure to be his teacher,” Summers said. “He was engaged in everything and he was the kind of kid who would get his work done. If he was missing something, he’d be more than willing to come in and do extra work.

“He was the kind of kid you hope your children grow up to be.”

Gomes, who said Davis was caring and kind, added that the sophomore was well-liked by his teachers and peers—particularly his fellow teammates.

Before Friday night’s game, the team planned to honor Davis during a moment of silence.

“The rest of the season is dedicated to him,” Herrera said.