COLUMBIA, S.C. — An emotional tribute was held at Keenan High School Friday night in honor of beloved student-athlete Donadrian Robinson.
His number, “72”, left its mark on the field along with the hashtag #DoItForDonnie.
“Do it for Donnie. I mean, he’s all in our hearts and you know, this is the sport that he like loved the most. He came out here every day with the energy. We had plans of getting a ring,” said teammate G’Nyus Chambers.
The stadium went silent for 72 seconds in his memory.
“Donnie, he was like a great teammate, more like a brother to me, you know. Since ninth grade, I've been wrestling with Donnie, I been playing football with Donnie, he’s just a great leader. Like, he’ll never lead you to do bad things. He’s always positive. He’s gonna keep you alive,” said Chambers.
Robinson’s family gave a presentation with his name and number. His teammates marched onto the field with his jersey in hand.
“It means a lot. It shows that everybody that didn’t have a relationship with him cared. So, that’s a good thing ‘cause he was really an icon for Keenan you know,” said teammate Marquese Williams.
One thing his teammates said they’ll miss the most is his love of the game, along with his smile.
“You would know who Donnie is as soon as he walks in the door. He’s big, you can’t miss him. He just brings great energy, he’s always laughing. I never seen Donnie in a bad mood. He always brings great energy. He’s always lifted others up, even when he felt down,” said Chambers.
The team plans on keeping his memory alive on the field as they finish out the remainder of the season.