Ex-Atlantic star Florestal killed in SC shooting
Lorvens Florestal, slain Sunday in South Carolina, ‘had high aspirations’
Former Atlantic football star Lorvens Florestal just arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, from Delray Beach to begin his freshman year with the Charleston Southern football team. But Florestal never had the opportunity to play for the Buccaneers.
Florestal was killed in a shooting early Sunday morning that was described by the university as a “random act of violence” at an apartment complex in West Ashley. Florestal was an innocent bystander, the university said in a statement.
“This one hurt,” Atlantic football coach Jamael Stewart said. “This one hurt a lot of
people, man. Big time . ... It really challenges your faith. A lot of our kids called. The ones that are away at college — Jeremiah McClendon, Jahbari Hill, ... Guenson Alexis — and they’re like, ‘Why does it always happen to the good ones? Why?’ And they’re asking that question. ‘Why, coach, why him?’ He always did everything he was supposed to do.”
Florestal’s former coach at Atlantic, T.J Jackson, is the defensive backs coach at Charleston Southern.
“He always went back to speak to underprivileged kids at various nonprofits like the
Boys and Girls Club, the DJ Center, and others,” Jackson said in a press release. “He spoke to young kids at elementary schools. He appreciated life and appreciated what he had. Lorvens was a kid that no matter what someone else was going through or what he was going through, if it was his last of anything, he’d give it to you. He was always caring for others. Be like Florestal and treat everyone like you want to be treated and respect everyone. Please keep his family in your prayers.”
Stewart said he learned the news from Jackson. Stewart said the two coaches were reminded of former Atlantic defensive back Marc-Allan Derac’s death following a dirt bike accident in 2018.
“I think Lorvens was just dropped off to school like last Wednesday or Thursday up in Charleston, and T.J. had a conversation with the parents, saying he’s in good
hands, I’ve got you, I’m going to take care of him,” Stewart said. “And the mom told T.J., ‘Take care of my baby. Take
care of my baby.’ And T.J said, ‘I got him.’ So he’s dealing
with it even tougher, because he had to make that phone call to the parents.”
Stewart said he was going to have a team meeting with the Eagles on Monday.
“I have to be there and be toughforthesekids,”Stewart said. “I found myself yesterday having to go somewhere and sit in the corner and get some crying time just away from my family to try to deal with it by myself, because I know once I come to school today and see the boys today at practice, it’s going to be tough. I really haven’t found out how to do that yet.”
Stewart, who was an assistant head coach with Atlantic before being promoted to head coach in February, said Florestal wanted to play linebacker for the Eagles, but the coaching staff thought he’d fit better at defensive end. Stewart said that instead of sulking about the position change, Florestal worked hard to learn the position and excel at it.
Florestal finished the shortened 2020 season with 41 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. He was a Sun Sentinel All-County firstteam selection.
“Once we talked to him, he said, ‘OK, I’m going to be the best defensive end there is,’ ” Stewart said. “He started working at it. Extra work, even after practice. He was calling coaches, trying to see if he could get extra work in, calling other guys around the community to teach him the position. And he actually did that and he came back to be our co-defensive player of the year last season with so many sacks and defensive plays that he was making.”
Stewart described Florestal as a leader on the Eagles.
“He was very quiet, but he was really self-motivated and driven,” Stewart said. “He really impacted a lot of
the kids around him, I know, on campus because he was a leader. He was one of those quiet leaders. His energy in the room was always felt.”
Stewart said that while Florestal was looking to play football in college, he was primarily focused on his education.
“He had high aspirations, man,” Stewart said. “He really wanted to do everything to impress his mom, and his goal was to get a college education so that he could take care of his little sister and of course, he wanted to use football to be able to help with that. A lot of kids, their focus is on making it to the NFL. He just wanted to go to college for free. That was his goal, man.”