COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Keenan High School community is mourning the loss of a beloved football player, just days after another Midlands High School lost a cherished football player.
W.J. Keenan High School principal Vondre Whaley said the school will honor the memory of student-athlete Donadrian Robinson by following his lead.
The athletics department announced Sunday Robinson died unexpectedly over the weekend.
“If we can get all of our students to embrace and embody what he meant as a student, then we will continue on to have our students change the world,” said Whaley.
Whaley said the loss left the team bent but not broken.
“They are gelling, coming together ... a lot of hugs, a lot of sad faces, but at the end of the day, we had smiles,” Whaley said.
Keenan Athletics Director Sean Gilley described the college-bound senior as a talented lineman and a vocal leader. In fact, he was already catching the eye of a few recruiters.
“Him knowing that he had an opportunity to go to school, and people were interested in him, it was just something that made him go hard. He finally reached his potential. He finally started to see what he’s capable of and I just think that’s (something) the rest of his teammates could look forward to,” Gilley said.
His teammates say they will keep his memory alive on the field.
“We’re just gonna keep it, do it for Donnie. You know, we made shirts for him. Everyone’s gonna rock them. And we just gonna do it for him. We gonna win, we gonna get a ring for him. It’s just how it is,” said teammate G’Nyus Chambers.
There will be 72 seconds of silence at Friday night’s game in honor of Robinson’s jersey number. There is grief counseling being offered for students on campus as they navigate their feelings.