The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition dated March 20-April 2.

The Bronx Buccaneers football team were back at the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood for the first training session of the new season on Saturday, March 15, this time without their beloved coach Dwight “Coach D” Downer, who, as reported, was tragically killed in a hit & run incident involving six vehicles in the East Bronx just after midnight on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

 

We spoke to Coach Keith on Saturday and asked how everyone’s emotions were holding up. “Pretty sporadic,” he said. “You know, they’re everywhere right now. He (Downer) used to do Saturday mornings; was his deal. He used to go to storage, pick up all the equipment. We’re trying to make substitutions for it but they always say you never, ever know what you have until you miss it.”

As reported, police said Downer, 60, who also coached Bedford Park’s DeWitt Clinton High School football team, had been standing at the intersection of Givan Avenue and Eastchester Road, south of Edenwald, when he was struck by a 2013 BMW 328 XI, driven by a 24-year-old man traveling eastbound on Eastchester Road. Online tributes to the popular coach who meant so much to so many young people followed the devastating news.

 

The NYPD determined that prior to this collision, the BMW driver had struck an unknown pick-up truck that had been traveling northbound on Givan Avenue. After the initial impact, they said the BMW collided with a parked, unattended 2020 Acura MDX, a 2007 Nissan Murano, and with Downer who had been standing alongside the Nissan.

They said the BMW then also collided with a parked, unattended 2014 Honda Accord and a 2007 Toyota Camry. EMS responded and transported Downer to Jacobi Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The driver of the BMW remained on scene and was later also transported to Jacobi for minor injuries. There were no arrests, and the investigation remained ongoing.

 

On Thursday, March 13, police said they arrested 27-year-old Orville Barry of Yonkers in connection with the incident. They said he was charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death, and third-degree aggravated, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Barry is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law. With collision investigations, the NYPD handles all criminal aspects of the investigations, while NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) reviews the street design at the locations of such crashes.

Tasha Harris, Downer’s partner, a member of Bronx Community Board 7, and organizer of the Bronx Buccaneers, gave her reaction to the arrest, writing in part, “I am grateful that those involved will be brought to face the deviation and loss that we all must face and live with. Thank you to all of the law enforcement members who have worked to make this happen.” As reported, a vigil was held in the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood on Dec. 5, 2024.

 

Back at the Oval, some new recruits joined seasoned Buccaneers on what was a chilly Saturday morning, as the coaching team put them through their paces, determined to carry on despite the obvious void. Kids were taught the importance of punctuality, order, listening, respecting those around them and their training facilities, and being prepared, which started with ensuring there were no loose boot laces!

“We have to appreciate this field; this is our home,” one of the coaches said in part. “You have one of the better fields in the City, so you will treat yourself and this field as such. You will not drop stuff all over the ground and leave it there. You will pick up behind yourself and you will pick up behind each other. Got it?” A chorus of “Got it!” followed.

 

The team of coaches were patient and were seen explaining various drills to new young players of different ages, shapes, and sizes as they lined up in various formations. There were some lighter, instructional moments too where players were asked to raise their right hand…. and then their other right hand…

 

Of Downer, Coach Keith said “Him gone, it kind of showed me a lot of what he did for the organization, and now we got to pick up the pieces and move on. He would want us to move on. Kind of hard to, but he wouldn’t quit so we not. Plus, a lot of kids rely on us trying to get them into high schools and stuff, so we can’t let them down either. We’re mentors to them. We got to come out here and be here for them.”

 

Coach Keith said early in the season, until April 14, the Buccaneers, who play in the Metro North [Westchester] league, meet once a week on Saturday mornings. “April 14 is going to be the first time we have weekday practices, which would be Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. He said they also play crossover games against a few other leagues and their age range is 6 to 14.

“We ask the kids do the best they can. We just make sure that they know what they’re doing, that they train correctly, and winning is not the end all, be all, you know?” he said. “It’s about teaching them football, teaching them accountability, reliability, how to make friends, how to be a part of a community, and pretty much to grow up to be a productive member of society.”

 

Coach Keith then pointed out a young man on the field, Adande Nartey, who he said started with the Buccaneers at age eight. “He’s now 18, and plays for Columbia University, downtown,” he said. “So, a few of our kids come back to help.” It was a similar story for two twins who were with the team since they were eight, and now coach at Rutgers. “They’re history students, and they’re actually on Rutgers coaching staff,” Coach Keith said, adding that some kids don’t realize they can have a career in sports in other ways aside from being a player.

When we later spoke to Adande, he said it’s not just about applying to schools, but getting recruited by the schools, themselves. He said he missed a season when he was in 9th Grade due to COVID, and in 10th Grade, he was at Horace Mann. He then transferred for a better chance at football.

 

“I ended up at Iona Prep,” he said. “After that, I spent junior year and senior year there, and after that, I didn’t really get recruited by any of the colleges. I wanted to, and on top of that, my grades weren’t where I wanted to be at, so it locked up a lot of opportunities for me.” He said after that, he went to a post graduate school in Connecticut called Suffolk Academy and is just finishing out the year there before he starts at Columbia. “Now, I’m just here giving back,” he said.

Asked if he would continue to help the Buccaneers, he said, “Oh yeah, most definitely, because I know there’s people that did the same for me when I was younger. So as long as I’m here, I’m always going to try and show up whenever I can for these kids.”

 

Asked about Coach D, Adande said, “While I was here, that man was like a second father to me. With football, it’s a sport that involves a lot of, like, grit and determination, so he instilled that in a lot of kids, and he also inspired me to keep going with it.”

“So, even after his passing, I think he’s always going to be inside me as an inspiration,” Adande said. ‘I know that Coach Keith as well, he’s going to do his best to keep pushing that message to these children.”