Vigil held for beloved football coach killed in tragic crash
Dwight Downer, 60 was killed in a chain-reaction crash on Nov. 30 outside of his home in Baychester.
More Stories
The Bronx community is shattered over the loss of beloved football coach Dwight Downer.
Downer, 60 was killed in a chain-reaction crash on Nov. 30 outside of his home in Baychester.
"He was loved by all, he touched lives," said his partner, Tasha Andrews.
Downer is described by his loved ones as a family man, father of two children and a football coach who dedicated his life to bettering others. Downer coached football for youth football organization the Bronx Buccaneers and DeWitt Clinton High School.
"He was tough on us to push us to the best we could be, he tried to unlock our potential both on and off the field," said Joshua Phllip who played football for Downer.
His death sent shockwaves through the community.
"He can't be replaced, he did things no one wants to do, Its' hard, my hands are tied, I can't put any words on anything," said Dennis O'Neil, the founder of the Buccaneers, who coached alongside Downer.
One by one, family, friends, coaches and players shared tearful memories of the man they called "Coach D" at a vigil on Friday night.
"I would always mess up and look in the back field and Coach D would tell me stop looking in the back field Keith look at your man," said Keith Whitehurst, a former player.
Coach D's impacts stretched far beyond the football field.
"If you didn't have a father in your life like I didn't dwight came and filled that void," Shatiallah Adell.
"This was a great testament to how he lived his life, this is his legacy, people think legacy is great fortune and assets, its not its about the people you touch and he left a great legacy," said Tasha Andrews.
A funeral will be held for Downer on Dec. 13.
A GoFundMe has also been set up to cover the funeral arrangements for Downer.
