INTERVIEW ABOUT JAVAN'S JERSEY
2007-03-17 21:27:09
2007-03-17 21:27:09
On March 15th, Taylor Holley interviewed Vice President of Operations for the Thunder, Brad Humphrey about Javan Camon’s jersey. The jersey has been a subject of question since Javan’s untimely death on February 26. The decision has been made to retire Javan’s jersey. Holley is a beat writer for the Daytona Beach Thunder, an intern from the Orlando Sentinel Sports Institute and a senior at Deland High School.
Q. Who made the official ruling on the retirement of the jersey?
A. That was really a no brainer. I think I mentioned it and Zack and Kevin McDonald and Antone Smothers and a host of others that were around immediately said yes, definitely. It wasn't any one person’s idea. I think it was just generally known that this was the right thing to do and it really wasn't open for discussion. The only question then was which jersey. Javan played for us last year and wore the number 12 which he had worn his entire football career from Pop Warner on. However, he was wearing the number 4 when he died because of a miscommunication with the people who handle our jerseys. The decision was then made to retire the number 12 in memory of Javan but then to never reissue the number 4.
Q. Considering it was Camon's first game in the Thunder uniform, was there anyone who opposed the retirement of the jersey?
A. No, absolutely not. As I said before, Javan played for us last year so it wasn't his first game in a Thunder uniform. He was a great player and an even greater person. Anyone who knew Javan from just one meeting would never forget him and would remember what a positive person and influence he was. There was no opposition to the retirement of his jersey at all. It was met with complete and total respect, which Javan deserved.
Q. Is this the first jersey retirement in Thunder history?
A. Yes, and we hope it will be the only one under these pretences.
Q. When was the jersey officially retired?
A. In my opinion it was retired immediately but this really is the first public announcement.
Q. What other things will be done in memory of Camon such as stickers on helmets...?
A. There will be a sticker on the helmets with the number 4 league wide and we will be painting a section of WCEU/PBS field at the 50-yard line with Javan's name and the number 12. (That's a great story in itself...) We will also be putting a dasher board in each end zone with a blown up picture of Javan on it. The players wanted that so they could go over and touch Javan as they entered the field and after touchdowns. Also, we have designed a new dasher board with what they call a "rounder" of Javan on it. It is a silhouette of Javan and the number 12 up in the corner of the dasher. It looks great. The Orlando Predators also had a moment of silence for Javan Monday night during halftime in their game against the Los Angeles Avengers. There will be several things happening at our next home game on March 31 as well. The biggest thing we want to do for the game on the 31 is SELL OUT THE SEATS! Javan's family and friends will all be here from down South and we'd like for them to see just how much this community is there for them and behind the team that their son played for. Not only that but, Our Team, the Communities Team needs to see that everyone is behind them and are here to support them. That it's not all in vain. These players need to see that they mean something to this community and that the community wants them here and that can only be accomplished one way and that's by people being at this game on the 31st against the Augusta Spartans and every game after for the rest of the season. Besides, we owe the Spartans a good ole Daytona Beach Thunder Thumpin' after losing to them in our home opener.
Q. Who made the official ruling on the retirement of the jersey?
A. That was really a no brainer. I think I mentioned it and Zack and Kevin McDonald and Antone Smothers and a host of others that were around immediately said yes, definitely. It wasn't any one person’s idea. I think it was just generally known that this was the right thing to do and it really wasn't open for discussion. The only question then was which jersey. Javan played for us last year and wore the number 12 which he had worn his entire football career from Pop Warner on. However, he was wearing the number 4 when he died because of a miscommunication with the people who handle our jerseys. The decision was then made to retire the number 12 in memory of Javan but then to never reissue the number 4.
Q. Considering it was Camon's first game in the Thunder uniform, was there anyone who opposed the retirement of the jersey?
A. No, absolutely not. As I said before, Javan played for us last year so it wasn't his first game in a Thunder uniform. He was a great player and an even greater person. Anyone who knew Javan from just one meeting would never forget him and would remember what a positive person and influence he was. There was no opposition to the retirement of his jersey at all. It was met with complete and total respect, which Javan deserved.
Q. Is this the first jersey retirement in Thunder history?
A. Yes, and we hope it will be the only one under these pretences.
Q. When was the jersey officially retired?
A. In my opinion it was retired immediately but this really is the first public announcement.
Q. What other things will be done in memory of Camon such as stickers on helmets...?
A. There will be a sticker on the helmets with the number 4 league wide and we will be painting a section of WCEU/PBS field at the 50-yard line with Javan's name and the number 12. (That's a great story in itself...) We will also be putting a dasher board in each end zone with a blown up picture of Javan on it. The players wanted that so they could go over and touch Javan as they entered the field and after touchdowns. Also, we have designed a new dasher board with what they call a "rounder" of Javan on it. It is a silhouette of Javan and the number 12 up in the corner of the dasher. It looks great. The Orlando Predators also had a moment of silence for Javan Monday night during halftime in their game against the Los Angeles Avengers. There will be several things happening at our next home game on March 31 as well. The biggest thing we want to do for the game on the 31 is SELL OUT THE SEATS! Javan's family and friends will all be here from down South and we'd like for them to see just how much this community is there for them and behind the team that their son played for. Not only that but, Our Team, the Communities Team needs to see that everyone is behind them and are here to support them. That it's not all in vain. These players need to see that they mean something to this community and that the community wants them here and that can only be accomplished one way and that's by people being at this game on the 31st against the Augusta Spartans and every game after for the rest of the season. Besides, we owe the Spartans a good ole Daytona Beach Thunder Thumpin' after losing to them in our home opener.
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