Fallen Brookhaven linebacker chosen permanent captain by his teammates
Published 3:10 pm Monday, December 25, 2017
Photo by Adam Northam/The Brookhaven High football team presented Jordan Blackwell’s No. 18 jersey to his family at the school’s annual football/cheer banquet recently. Blackwell, a middle linebacker who was killed in late May, was voted permanent team captain by his teammates. Pictured are, from left: Blackwell’s mother Tiffany, brother Shon Jr., sister Alexandria and father Shon Blackwell Sr.
Photo by Adam Northam/Ole Brook football players were recognized for their 11-win season in 2017 at the annual banquet. Awarded were, front row, from left: Tyler Mixon, Coker Wright, Trace Clopton, Michael Stallings, Dedric Smith and Ben Springfield; back row, from left: Byrion Robinson, Sevante Quinn, Jeffery Johnson, Jemaurian Jones, Damarrell Leggett and John Hilbert. Individual awards included Trace Clopton, most outstanding offensive lineman; Jeffery Johnson, most outstanding defensive lineman; Damarrell Leggett, most outstanding offensive back; Byrion Robinson, most outstanding defensive back; Trace Clopton and the late Jordan Blackwell, team captains; Sevante Quinn, Stan Patrick Boom Award; Jemaurian Jones and Ben Springfield, Therell-Tanner Award; Michael Stallings and Dedric Smith, Panther Award; Trace Clopton, Scholastic Award. All-Region awards from Region 3-5A were Damarrell Leggett, most valuable offensive player; John Hilbert, most outstanding wide receiver; Trace Clopton and Dedric Smith, most outstanding offensive linemen; Jeffery Johnson, most outstanding defensive lineman; Jemaurian Jones and Byrion Robinson, most outstanding defensive back; Tyler Mixon, most outstanding kicker. Region 3-5A First Team selections were Dahauntre Hill, Michael Stallings, Axavian Jones, Coker Wright, Sevante Quinn, J.Q. Edwards and D.J. Durr. Second team selections were Ben Springfield, Bobby Parnell, Keyshawn Herring, Don Blandon, Kadarius Wells and Isiah Wall. Mississippi Association of Coaches All-State selections were Jeffery Johnson, first team defensive lineman; Jemaurian Jones, first team defensive back; Trace Clopton, first team offensive lineman; Tyler Mixon, first team place kicker; Damarrell Legget, second team running back; and Coker Wright, second team offensive lineman.
Photo by Adam Northam/The Brookhaven High cheer squad was recognized for their achievements in 2017 at the cheer/football banquet. Pictured are, front row, from left: Lauren Smith, Destiny Johnson, Madeline Balkcom, Isis Brown, Maggie Massengill, Jacy Miller, Katherine Meilstrup, Caroline Pace, Maddie Thompson, Madisyn Wall and Danielle Culbert; back row, from left: Jayla Banks, Riley Barker, Sara Jane Boyte, Maddie Miller, Tamia Stallings (mascot), Tydaisha Washington, Alexis Leggett, Maley Moak, Maddie Smith, Johnlyn Kees and Morgan Moak. Meilstrup won the squad’s Leadership Award, Pace won the Scholastic Award, Thompson was named Most Dependable, Balkcom was named Most Improved, Banks was named Most Versatile and Washington was named Most Energetic. Not pictured are Tomayah Allen, Kaitlyn Bridgeforth, Ja’Liyah Miller and Riley Whittington.
The night of the Brookhaven athletic banquet was a special one. A time for celebration.
They wore their church-going clothes. Neckties, sport coats, creased khakis. Their names were called out, praised. They walked up in front of a couple of hundred people to take hold of silver trophies, fancy certificates, letterman jackets.
Tiffany Blackwell was there to see Brookhaven’s football players honored at the annual banquet. Her son, Jordan, would have been one of them. Should have been.
But an alleged murderer cheated him and seven other people out of their lives in late May. Jordan didn’t get to take part in Ole Brook’s 11-win season. Didn’t get to step under the lights or spear a running back or hear his name on the loudspeakers as a senior.
But the team believes Jordan was there for every game, that he played a part in every victory.
They voted him permanent team captain for 2017.
“They have shown us Jordan is still a part of the team,” Tiffany said. “It shows this team truly are their brothers’ keepers.”
Head coach Tommy Clopton said he got emotional as he counted his players’ votes for the award and remembered what should have been in 2017. He recounted a conversation he had with Jordan’s father, Shon, in June, shortly after the killings.
“I found Jordan and Trace together in the dressing room after school. That’s weird, because school is usually the last place kids want to be after the bell rings at 3 o’clock,” Clopton remembered. “He went home and said, ‘Daddy, we’ve got this. I’m gonna take care of the defense, and Clopton’s going to take care of the offense.’”
Jordan wasn’t there to take care of the defense from his middle linebacker position. But the team took care of his memory all season. His No. 18 was painted black in the endzone at King Field. The 18-yard line’s tick marks were blacked out. Senior players carried his jersey into every game on a banner pole.
At the banquet, they presented Jordan’s framed, white No. 18 jersey to the Blackwells in memoriam. The year-end highlight video contained a special section dedicated to Jordan with pictures of him in seasons past.
Shon knows that’s over now. These seniors will be gone from Brookhaven in five months. Next year’s team will remember Jordan, but time will hide the tragedy from tomorrow’s players.
“It will be kind of rough when this is over, when these guys graduate and move on,” Shon said. “But we understand in life God allows us to have memories. We have all the great memories of being a part of the Panther family.”
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