There’s a lot more things in life than high school football. Most of us with plenty of years in the rear view mirror easily understand that, but it’s not as common for most 15-18 year olds suiting up every Friday for the highlight of their week, and for many their lives.
This year’s Bruce Trojans’ team is an exception as they’re learning first hand the fragility of life.
Joel McNeece
It can be seen on the back of their shiny gold helmets where there are no royal blue Trojan stickers marking the big plays each player accomplished in previous games, rather only one white sticker that reads “Caden” and “Jaden.”
Those are the twin boys of Bruce assistant coach Jordan Graham and his wife Christina.
Caden and Jaden are two months old and remain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Women’s Hospital in Tupelo. Caden weighs almost five pounds and Jaden, just over two.
Jaden has shown improvment lately, getting off the breathing tube and using a cannula. Both boys still have a long road ahead of them, but are showing some improvement.
Coach Graham missed virtually all of the summer weight program and seven-on-seven drills due to watching, praying and hoping over his newborn sons.
“Coach Graham means an awful lot to us as a coaching staff and a football team,” Bruce Coach James Ray said. “Our kids love him.”
“He was where he needed to be all summer, and the kids asked about him every day,” Coach Ray said. “We pray about him every day. We pray for Jaden and Caden every day.”
Sitting in the field house prior to last Friday’s game with Potts Camp, the coaching staff gathered for their weekly pregame prayer. First words mentioned were Jaden and Caden. When the prayer moved into the locker room, it was again Jaden and Caden first on the minds of the Trojans.
“Football is important. It’s important to our kids, our community and our coaches, but when you deal with something like this it’s not as important as you thought it was before,” Coach Ray said. “Our kids have seen that. Life is so precious and we take it for granted. This has been a life lesson for our team.”
Senior offensive lineman Richie Logan lost his mother a few years ago. He’s seen how precious life can be.
“We feel for Coach Graham and his family and what they’re going through,” Logan said. “We miss him when he’s not here and when he is we try to make sure he knows we support him 100%.”
They’re showing that support through their effort, in their prayers, and by giving up individual recognition to instead honor Jaden and Caden’s fight. Hoping for a greater victory than just a Friday night ball game.
Email Joel McNeece at joelmcneece@gmail.com & follow him on Twitter @joelmcneece