3 Brooks Co. football players to be honored 10 years after tragic accident

QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) - The new Brooks County High School football practice field won’t be the only addition coming to the school.

Coach Maurice Freeman and members of the community came together on Monday to honor some students who were killed in a crash almost 10 years ago.

“I would just like to thank the community. My heart especially goes out to Coach Freeman. I know he and the staff were close to the boys and the whole football team continues to be close to BC3. And I just like to thank everyone for their support,” Agnes Kimbrough, mother of Jicarre Watkins who passed away, said.

In July 2013, Watkins, Shawn Waters and Johnie Parker were on their way to an early morning practice when they were involved in a car accident that resulted in their car almost being split in two.

Now 10 years later, Freeman is honoring their legacy with a soon-to-be permanent granite, 4 foot memorial with all of their names and numbers.

“Every Friday, we pray around that memorial before we go to a game. It is a part of our tradition, and they show a lot of respect,” Freeman said. “We got a couple of sayings that we do for BC3, and they all know them, and they all know how important they are. I was prepared to pay for it out of my own pocket need be because they’re special to me. But if I can get some assistance, I’m all for it.”

Freeman said before someone from the community reached out to set up the GoFundMe page, he was prepared to pay for the memorial to be placed at their new practice field himself. All because these players mean that much to him.

“Moving from the old school to this facility here, this is our first semester in this facility, so we have to have another memorial out here. I had personal relationships with all three of them,” Freeman said. “And they played hard for me. They were leaders, and they were good kids. So that made it even easier to fall in love with them.”

Freeman said there’s one big thing to take away from this.

“Young men sometimes think automobiles are toys. They don’t realize how heavy and how violent those automobiles can be. That memorial is going to help us remind them, ‘hey—, we got to be safe,’” Freeman said.

If you would like to help make the memorial happen by the 10th year anniversary in July, you can donate below.

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