MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. -- The Central Virginia high school football player who died during a Friday night football game after making a tackle two weeks ago was remembered by his teammates Monday night.
Park View High School football players wore Jamond Salley's number 55 on their uniforms during the rescheduled Homecoming game. There was a special presentation from the football team, coaches, and the band.
Jamond collapsed shortly after making a tackle in a game against Brunswick High School two weeks ago. Mecklenburg County Public Schools confirmed last week that Jamond died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head.
"He was tackling somebody and they went head to head," friend Antoine Williams said.
Park View High School junior Jamond Salley was injured hitting another player just before halftime during last Friday's game against Brunswick High School in Brunswick County.
While Jamond received medical attention on the sidelines, witnesses said he fell unconscious and started having seizures. Salley was given CPR, but died on the way to the hospital. It seemed like a "freak accident" said people on the sidelines that night.
Players on the Park View High School football team played their homecoming football game with heavy hearts on Monday.
"I could tell they didn't have the energy, excitement about it," said parent Wayne Guynn.
His parents and other family members lit a torch in Jamond's honor at halftime on Monday after receiving footballs signed by Salley's teammates. Guynn and others parents said their sons were deeply effected by Jamond's death, even to the point of questioning whether to play football anymore.
Jamond's mother told CBS 6 she does not blame anyone for his death, but does have questions about the helmet he was wearing. Parent Annie Ogburn said she, like Jamond's parents, wondered if his equipment was up to par.
"I was having concerns because I wasn't sure about the team's helmets," Ogburn said.
But division Superintendent Dr. James Thornton said the team recently got new helmets, and that safety is a priority.
"We had 24 helmets purchased this year, every other helmet gets reconditioned every single year so the helmets are in good condition," Thornton said.
Still, parents want to know exactly what happened to Jamond.
"I think all of us want to hear something about extenuating circumstances, that it wasn't something that happened on the football field that took his life," Guynn said.
Thornton said the school system has completed its investigation into the death, but is waiting for the medical examiner's report before releasing any information about its investigation.
"Jamond was a strong student in both academics and as an athlete," Mecklenburg County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thornton said in a statement. "Members of his family, friends, and teachers have all shared one common trait of Jamond, he was very respectful. He was a student with a big heart and a smile that would instantly capture your attention."
Since his death, classmates at Park View High School have also honored Jamond's memory by decorating his locker and hanging memorial posters throughout the school.
