Gunshot survivor in Virginia In his first home game after the school shooting that claimed the lives of three teammates, Mike Hollins scores twice against James Madison.
When a shooting occurred at UVA last year, Mike Hollins was on the bus there.In a 36-35 defeat on Saturday, the running back finished with 28 yards on the ground.
In his first home game following the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of three of his friends on campus, Virginia shooting victim Mike Hollins scored two touchdowns on Saturday.
Hollins witnessed the sad shooting deaths of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry while riding a school bus back from a field trip to Washington, D.C. in November.
After being shot in the back, he underwent three surgeries, spent a week in the hospital, and then started a protracted rehabilitation.
Hollins had a significant influence in an emotional first game back in Charlottesville after the massacre, first punching in a four-yard score in the second quarter.
Later, in the third quarter, the running back scored on a nine-yard run.
Hollins was the only member of the squad to participate in the coin toss and was the first Cavalier to emerge from the tunnel.
‘UVA STRONG’ and the names and numbers of the three dead people were painted on an end zone as the squad sprinted towards it.
When they arrived, the majority were already kneeling.
Throughout the season, the end zone will continue to be painted in their honour.
The three deceased players’ jersey numbers, 1, 15, and 41, were worn by the Cavaliers, who also donned helmet decals and legacy patches.
Helmet decals were also worn by the visiting Dukes.
Cheering spectators lined the route the squad takes to go to the locker room on Saturday more than two hours before the game started.
Many afterwards wore the orange ‘UVA STRONG’ T-shirts that were distributed to the first 35,000 spectators to enter the stadium.
For a pregame ceremony, spectators were asked to take their seats by 11:30 a.m.
They clapped enthusiastically when the squad left the locker room.
Before returning indoors, the players went through their customary pregame warm-up and stretching.
Friday marked the beginning of memorial services and dedications for three players who died in a shooting last November, along with another player and a female student who were injured.
In addition, the victims were remembered before James Madison’s match on Saturday.
They came back and sat on the end zone’s back line to see a five-minute video memorial narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, which brought many spectators to tears.
Then three parachutists carrying banners with player jersey numbers and the final one carrying a banner reading “UVA STRONG” descended into the stadium.
Following the conclusion of another movie commemorating Virginia’s football heritage, the families were introduced on the pitch while plaques honouring the three were displayed beneath the pergola at the stadium’s open end.
At the opposite end of the stadium’s LED board, where the announcer claimed they would remain indefinitely, the three victims’ numbers were displayed.
Additionally, on Friday, a tree was planted and a plaque was put up in memory of the injured players Chandler, Davis Jr., Perry, as well as another player and a female student.
When the Cavaliers reunited in the spring for 15 days of practise, they acknowledged feeling emotional, especially when shooting survivor Hollins was wearing a uniform.
They played No. 9 Tennessee in their first game back on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, losing 49-13.
Since the deaths, Virginia’s second-year coach Tony Elliott has made it clear multiple times that there is no playbook or formula for how a programme recovers, much less how individual individuals do.
This week, Elliott said, “You’ve got to compartmentalise, be strategic with the hours in the day, and know when you need to focus on football.”
They must also continue to concentrate on their academics and spend the necessary time psychologically preparing themselves for the emotional roller coaster they will experience towards the conclusion of the week and on game day.
It’s a fine balance, so.James Madison prevailed 36–35 in the game on Saturday.