LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — The East Laurens High School community is mourning former student-athlete, Juwon Edmond.
The 24-year-old was killed on Labor Day in an ATV wreck. At Friday's football game, Edmond's former coaches reflected on Edmond's memory.
"His legendary skills for leadership were something awesome," said Will Smith, one of his track coaches. "He was going to get that stick where it needed to go."
"He represented every facet that we wanted our young men to represent," said Paul Conyers, Edmond's basketball coach. "He was more than willing to run through walls for you."
His football coach, Torrance Pittman, says Edmond's leadership taught everyone what it meant to lead.
"He taught us all something. That's one thing, Juwon. He made all of us grow. He made all of us want to be better because we knew we had to be better for him," Pitman said.
Hours before Edmond's death, the Academy of Richmond County lost current football player Se'Vonn Small in a drowning. Loss hung over Friday's football game, but East Laurens did what they could to honor both players.
"We actually provided decals for the helmets for both schools to go on the back of the helmet. One for Juwon, and one for their student-athlete," said Athletic Director Chip Fleming.
Just before kickoff, an East Laurens cheerleader prayed for both teams.
"Settle the grieving hearts tonight, God, for both teams," she said.
On the East Laurens side, four of those grieving hearts honored the memory of their No. 1 by helping plan his funeral.
"Just this little bit that we can do, it will never measure up to what he did for us," Pittman said.
Edmond's funeral will be held at the East Laurens High School gym at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Edmond's friend, Gregory Jones, was killed in the same wreck on Labor Day. Jones was also an athlete, a former running back at Dublin High School. His memorial service will be Saturday at 6 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home in Dublin.
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