Remembering Terrance Kelly

Eight years ago, on August 12th 2004, the world lost a great one in Terrance Kelly. His life was tragically cut short in an act of senseless violence, when he was shot to death outside of a friends home.  

The more time has passed, the less I see people paying respect, or talking about him, but the news hit me in such a way, that I've not forgotten.  This is my way of paying respect, looking back on who he was, and what we lost that night his life was taken away.

2004 was the first year I started to get into following recruiting, and I picked a helluva time to start.  Oregon was in the midst of having their best recruiting class in history, highlighted by the De La Salle 4: Cameron Colvin, Willie Glasper, Jackie Bates, and Terrance Kelly.

It was a tight group.  All four of them were 4 or 5 star recruits, and could've played virtually anywhere.  Among the four, Kelly was the leader. A young man who possessed those leadership qualities.

He grew up in the Iron Triangle neighborhood in Richmond, California.  An area known for its violence and gang activity.  In a place where drive by shootings happen almost daily, it's expected of you to join a gang, but Kelly didn't.

He made a conscious decision to avoid the gang life, and stay on the straight path to success.  Considered a model citizen amongst his peers, and a role model for many growing up in similar situations.

While at De La Salle, Kelly was a star running back and linebacker.  By his senior year, he was listed as a 4 star recruit and had several offers from colleges.  Ultimately though, he chose Oregon, along with the three others.

I had followed the recruiting of the De La Salle 4 closely, checking message boards and websites daily.  So when it was announced all four were coming to Oregon, I was ecstatic!  I couldn't wait to see all of them have success as a Duck.

I never, in my wildest dreams, would've thought that one of them would die before ever suiting up in an Oregon uniform.  The four had just been at Oregon attending a summer camp, when Kelly went back home briefly to say goodbye to his family.  But he wouldn't make it back to Oregon.

On the night of August 12th, 2004, Kelly drove to a friend's house to pick him up.  He pulled up and waited while his friend was getting ready.  It was at that moment when a 15 year old came up along side the car, and opened fire several times, apparently over losing a basketball game against Kelly a couple months earlier.

I read the news the next morning and was numb all day.  Not because we lost potentially a superstar player, but because such a good young man was killed over a game of basketball.  He had so much going for him, and it was taken away from a punk kid who had nothing going for him.  

I kept thinking over and over about the circumstances: what if he never went back home, what if his friend had been waiting for Kelly, instead of Kelly waiting for him, and so on.

As time passes, I've gone from mourning his death, to recognizing how special he was, and the good he did while he was here.  

Gone but never forgotten.