AN EMOTIONAL NIGHT
Stoneman Douglas honors shooting victims, retires Feis’ number
Three Stoneman Douglas football players prepare to present former coach Aaron Feis’ family with his victims of the February mass shooting at halftime of their game against Taravella on Thursday. jersey. The Eagles honored the
Stoneman Douglas coach Willis May said former assistant Aaron Feis deserved to have his number retired no matter what.
“He’s deserving of that,” May said. “It’s not because of what happened. If he lived and decided to quit the game, they should retire it just because of the person he was while he was here.”
The Douglas football program retired Feis’ No. 73 as part of a ceremony to honor all of the victims of the February mass shooting at the school that claimed the lives of 17 people, including Feis.
“He was Douglas football,” May said. “He’s been here a long time. He played here, he coached here. He loved Douglas football and everybody knew he loved Douglas football.
“He had nothing but the concern of the kids at all times, trying to make them better people, give them a chance to have a good life. And he changed a lot of lives while he was here. There’s a lot of kids that played here that will tell you that if it wasn’t for coach
Feis, they wouldn’t have or be doing what they’re doing now.”
The families of the 14 students and Scott Beigel were given game balls. Former athletic director Chris Hixon’s family was given a framed gameday polo, and Feis’ family was given his framed jersey.
May said the decision to retire Feis’ number was obvious.
“We said we were going to do it, period,” May said. “From the first day. Nobody needs to wear his jersey. That’s his jersey.”
Though it will forever be his jersey, May brought it back to how Feis used his jersey to relate to the kids he coached.
“He used to have a special bond with those guys who wore his jersey,” May said. “He’d say, ‘I wore that. I’m watching to see how you play. You better represent because I represented.’”