FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons welcomed the Apalachee High School football team to their practice facility, just a week after a tragic event left two students and two teachers dead.
The high school players observed the Falcons’ practice from the sidelines on Friday at the team’s training center.
Jerry Gray, the Falcons’ assistant head coach for defense, expressed his admiration for the young athletes, saying, “It’s incredible to see these kids going through such tough times. I often wonder what they are feeling. They have to return to the school where this tragedy occurred.”
The shooting incident, which took place on September 4, claimed the life of a teacher who was also an assistant coach for the Apalachee football team. In addition, nine other individuals were injured. Funerals for two of the victims were being held on Saturday. A 14-year-old student has been charged with murder, and his father is facing charges for allegedly providing his son with a gun.
During the chaos of the shooting, some students sought refuge in the football stadium at the high school. Apalachee High School is located in Winder, about 20 miles from the Falcons’ training facility in the Atlanta suburbs.
Gray went on to say, “It’s special for us to show them a little care and support, especially since we’re professional players. We understand the importance of compassion.”
In a gesture of solidarity before their season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Falcons coaches and players wore Apalachee High School T-shirts during warmups, and there was a moment of silence to honor the victims before the game began.
Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett, who grew up in the Atlanta area, shared how much the support meant: “It definitely had a significant impact. I played against Apalachee when I was in high school.”
This Monday night, the Falcons are set to play the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0).
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