Everman to Honor Craig Boatwright Friday

[Matthew328]

Everman's not 3A but this did happen while they were 3A and many of you guys may recall it...I copied and pasted what I posted on TOC



It hardly seems like ten years ago, but it's been that long since Everman's Craig Boatwright collapsed and died while running laps at EHS in 2003. It was a time of triumph and tragedy in Everman, the football team had won the state title in 2001 and 2002 but the 2002 title was marred by the horrific injury to Corey Fulbright who was paralyzed making a tackle in the title game at the Alamodome.

Less than a year later on the week of homecoming Boatwright (who was later identified to have a rare heart defect) was on the field doing laps under the supervision of a coach when he suddenly collapsed. Despite efforts by the Coach and Everman's trainer Boatwright was gone. A 6'5 225 pound kid who was a three year starter and a verbal commit to play football at TCU was gone just like that. I can't imagine the grief his teammates and friends went through and I can't imagine the guilt the coaches had despite what happened not being their fault.

Craig was a kid who I mentored some when he was a sixth grader at Bishop Elementary and I was a senior at EHS, so the loss hurt. He was a great kid with a good heart and he was a great player as well. I remember telling one of my buddies who came to the elementary with me that I thought he'd be great athlete and he was. No one that has played for Everman since then has worn his #87 and many coaches still have that # stitched in on a lot of their caps.

It will be a time Friday to honor Craig's memory and remember the good times he gave to many of us.

[Matthew328]

This from Everman Asst. AD Dale Matlock, just shows you what kind of kid Craig was....

Paula Tinker (wife of Everman assistant John Tinker) has organized a campaign to raise money in Craig's name to be donated to Gridiron Heroes. I think you know, but Gridiron Heroes has been very helpful to Corey Fulbright over the years. October 16th marks the tenth anniversary of Craig's passing and we wanted that to be remembered. The real significance to me is that Craig chose to auction off his state championship ring at the fundraiser for Corey in 2003, so it seems appropriate that this is happening in his name. Paula can give you more detail about the presentation. Her e-mail address is ptinker@eisd.org


That just tells you what kind of young man Craig was, before he died he donated his state championship ring to help Corey out....

[Matthew328]

Donations for Gridiron Heroes can be made up until noon tomorrow at:

Hickory Stick BBQ in Everman
Kelly's Flowers in Everman
Crossroads Gas Station in Everman

There will also be a table set up at the JV football game tonight.

[Matthew328]

Here's the fundraiser letter....I frickin cant read it without my eyes getting teary...damn allergies

Two young men have histories that will forever be etched into the Everman football program. If you are new to our Everman family, you may not recognize their names or know their story. However, it’s our responsibility to keep their legacy going for future generations of Everman community members, district staff, and athletes.

Corey Fulbright was a senior in the fall of 2002. He had dreams of playing college ball and was interested in attending the University of Houston. He had reached every player’s goal of making it to his second state championship game. The Everman Bulldogs played the Burnet Bulldogs in the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX on December 17, 2002. Everman won the state title game, with a final score of 35-14. But the state championship victory was far overshadowed by a single event from the 1st quarter, when a tackle by Corey left him laying still on the field for 15 minutes. They strapped him on the board, carried him off the field and took him to Brooke Army Medical Center. The game played on while tests were run to confirm what the trainers, coaches and administrators were already fearful of: Corey had suffered a spinal cord injury. It wasn’t long before the results were conclusive that Corey was paralyzed from the neck down. His life, and the life of everyone who knew him, was changed in an instant.

Craig Boatwright was a senior in the fall of 2003. He had verbally committed to playing football for Texas Christian University. Craig was a 6’4” 215 pound defensive end that had started for both state championship teams. On Thursday, October 16th, Craig was nearing the end of a two mile run on the Everman track and collapsed. CPR was immediately performed by a coach and trainer until he was transported to a local hospital where attempts to restore his heart were unsuccessful. The autopsy ultimately discovered that he had a previously undetected congenital heart condition. Craig was a candidate for homecoming king, the game that was to be played the next day after his death. The Everman players and coaches decided to still play the game, but pushed back the homecoming festivities, to honor Craig’s memory as a player and as a well-loved classmate.

There was one particular instance that unites these two young men’s lives. In the spring of 2003, a few months after Corey’s life changing accident, an auction of donated items was held in Everman to help raise funds for Corey’s medical bills and physical needs. Selflessly, but certainly not uncharacteristically, then junior Craig Boatwright donated his 2002 state championship ring to the auction, stating simply that he already had one (from the 2001 championship) and he knew that the money raised would go to help Corey. The ultimate winning bidder took the ring and returned it to Craig. As Coach McGuffin said at Craig’s eulogy just few months later, “The doctors tell us that Craig’s heart was injured, but those of us that knew him know he had a huge heart. He had a heart made of gold.”
On this ten year anniversary of Craig’s untimely passing, we would like to ask that the Everman community once again rally behind these two players and make a donation in Craig’s name to the not-for-profit organization “Gridiron Heroes,” a spinal cord injury foundation, whose mission is to help high school football players like Corey who sustain a serious neck injury and subsequent paralysis. Please visit www.gridironheroes.org for more details about their work.

[hollywood]

Very touching stories.