Last December Zaevion Dobson became a household name across the United States for all the wrong reasons. At just 15 years old he made the ultimate sacrifice, shielding two of his friends from a random shooting, taking the bullets that would have undoubtedly hit them. He saved their lives.
He lost his.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBaa6uWpr5k
I’m sad to tell you I never got the chance to talk to Zaevion or know him, even a little bit. I watched him play when I covered Fulton Football, but with a tight deadline and quick turnover, there’s not time to talk or even get to know every player. The guy I usually had a conversation with was his brother Zack.
Zack Dobson is a star player by any definition. He’s a guy that literally leaps off the field when you see Fulton play. He’s a touchdown machine and because of that, he’s the guy I would inevitably interview after watching the Falcons completely obliterate an opponent.
Last year I covered a particularly fun game. Fulton beat down one of their Region 2-4A rivals, Anderson County, 58-14. Zack had scored two touchdowns, one on a 36-yard touchdown reception and another on a five-yard run.
As I walked over to Fulton’s side of the field after the game to talk to their head coach, Rob Black, and Zack, he was in the middle of a scrum of players, including his brother Zaevion, reciting a piece of prose wrestling fans might find familiar.
“You’re talking to the Rolex-wearing, diamond ring-wearing, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing, limousine-riding, jet-flying son of a gun,” Zack said, smiling as his teammates shouted “Woo!” at each break. “And I’m having a hard time holding these alligators down!”
Yep. Zack was quoting former WWE and NWA great Ric Flair’s most famous monologue to the delight of his teammates. It was how they’d decided to celebrate if they’d won. Just one more fun thing. That’s the Zack Dobson I’ve gotten to know, if only a little bit. That was back in September, 2015. Three months before Zack’s life, and the life of his family, would be changed forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WnOrGBm5pA
I hadn’t talked to Zack since Zaevion was killed and Saturday night was the first time I’d seen him apart from pieces on Zaeveon and his family on television or when Zaevion received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year’s ESPYs.
It’s difficult to describe how Zaevion’s sacrifice resonated throughout East Tennessee. Everyone in America was talking about him, acknowledging his heroism and the man he was and what the world lost in his passing. But here, it hit like a tidal wave. So many of us, not just sportswriters and photographers, but causal fans had actually seen Zack and Zaevion play. We were all connected to it in some way, no matter how small.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRGM15ABaE
Fulton played Morristown East High School as part of a Saturday double-header in Morristown, Tenn. The opening game was Knox Catholic and Morristown West and I was leaving the field after getting quotes from both coaches when I saw Zack come in the gate with this mother Zanobia. Zack was wearing a tight undershirt with his brother’s number on it, 24. The name “Zae” across the arm. I stopped for a minute and we shook hands and shared a short hug.
Before the Fulton – Morristown East game, the Dobson family was honored at midfield. Morristown East had been selling #24strong T-shirts with all the proceeds going to the Zaevion Dobson foundation. During that ceremony, a short piece of Zanobia’s speech at the ESPYs was shown on the Burke-Toney Stadium screen.
I asked Zack if it was tough to watch.
“It was,” Zack told me. “I ain’t even going to lie. When I got back to the locker room I started crying.”
.@FultonFootball honors Zaevion Dobson, who was killed shielding two girls from gunfire via @prepxtra https://t.co/SYH9BCgtI3 @stn__zack
— USA TODAY HSS (@usatodayhss) August 21, 2016
Zack will wear his fallen brother’s number this year and football fans in Tennessee should get used to seeing it streak down the sideline. Morristown East saw plenty of it as Zack caught three passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. He had a 60-yard punt return for a TD called back on a hold. Fulton won the game 67-7.
“It felt great,” Zack said. “We held it together and played for Zaevion.”
Zack has many more football Fridays, and Saturdays for that matter, ahead of him. He’s a star on and off the field, just like his brother. Now he has to play on for the both of them.
A short version of my game story from the Fulton at Morristown East football game appeared on USA Today’s website.
To donate to the Zaevion Dobson Scholarship fund click here.
