*The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition. 

Family, friends, colleagues, and players, young and old, who were trained by 60-year-old volunteer football coach, Dwight Downer, gathered in the Williamsbridge Oval Park in Norwood on Friday, Dec. 5, for a moving, candlelit vigil to pay tribute to their relative, friend, and mentor who, as reported, died tragically following a multiple-vehicle road collision on Saturday morning, Nov. 30, a few minutes after midnight.

 

Downer, a father, coached local football team the Bronx Buccaneers, who train regularly in the Oval, as well as Bedford Park’s DeWitt Clinton high school football team. Nicknamed “Coach D,” Downer lived on Eastchester Road in the East Bronx, and was a partner to Tasha Andrews, a member of Bronx Community Board 7, who is also an organizer with the Buccaneers.

Addressing those gathered at the vigil around life-size images of Downer illuminated from the ground up by electric torches, Andrews said Downer believed that how a person showed up in life was important.

 

“He gave 100% of himself every single day,” she said. She recalled one month when he dedicated himself to football for four weeks straight. “On Monday, he did Clinton and Bucs, on Tuesday, he did Clinton, on Wednesday, he’s with Clinton and Bucs, on Thursday and Friday, he did Clinton, on Saturday, Bucs had a game, on Sunday, Clinton had a game,” she said. “We wound up for four weeks; every single time he was there.”

Andrews spoke of how once Downer only had 15 players show up for practice, and when she asked him what he was going to do, he said, “I guess these 15 will get the best of me that I got.” Channeling Downer’s much-lauded positive energy, and even as tears streamed down her face at times, Andrews interwove her speech with various sporting analogies and terms like “the breakdown” to encourage grieving players not to give up on life despite their sadness.

 

“That’s a position of stance when no one can knock you down and you have balance,” Andrews said. “The stronger your breakdown is, the better you will be able to stand against the obstacles that come before you, or that you have to face.”

She continued in part, “The strong arm, or the stiff arm as it’s called, used to defend yourself or hold back your opponent for opposition in life, you just won’t strongarm anyone physically, but mentally. Keep people away from you who are not good for you, or who are trying to hold you down, or trying to pull you away from what you need to do. Be strong. Stop trying to let people take you away from your purpose. Use that strong arm to keep them back.”

 

Andrews added, “So, now you have two hands to move those things out of your way. It might be hard and tough. Some of them might be big, but you have the knowledge and the ability and the power to do so. Keep your eyes on the ball. If you keep your eyes on the ball, you will never lose that ball. You won’t lose your focus.”

She went on to say there were many other football practices and mechanics that Coach D had taught his teams over the years. “That wasn’t about football, Guys,” Andrews said, her voice cracking at times. “These things were meant for y’all to take along in your life. For all of you who were touched by him, who have been coached by him, who got to know him, the way he lived was not because he wanted accolades.”

 

Joking at one point, she said Downer would have been upset to know such a big crowd was standing out in the cold together thinking about him. “The way he lived was not because he wanted to be important or special,” she said. “He didn’t even know how special he was because he was so low key.”

Throughout the vigil, people of all ages took turns addressing the crowd and speaking about how Downer had influenced them in one way or another. In true sports fashion, there was also some slow clapping and chanting of “Coach D” at various intervals.

 

Another attendee named Patrick, said, “This is my first year being a part of the Bucca organization. One thing I can say about this man is he’s a real father figure to each and every one of us. He brought all of us together as a family, and like I told him, I wouldn’t trade this with nothing in the world, nothing, hands down. This man is the best, the best, the best person I ever met.”

One of the younger players from the Under 14s group said in part, “Today, I’m here to speak about a great, empowering man in this community who was my coach for my last season. He was such a positive man and never looked down or belittled any of us. He always lifted us up, and instead of looking down on us when we made mistakes, he helped us get rid of our mistakes.”

 

The young player spoke about a time when he broke his leg and was in a Brooklyn hospital waiting for hours for his mom to arrive. He said Coach D stayed with him the entire time, even though he was tired. “He stood on my side from when the injury occurred to when my mom got there, even while my mom was there [and] still needed to get the results of what happened,” he said.

Recalling how Downer would gently tease him during his recovery from his injury, the young player added in part, “He’s a big part of the reason I am the great player I am today, also the reason why I don’t take jokes to heart anymore. I really wish he was here to see my progression with my injury. God bless all of you guys and rest in peace, Coach D.”

 

Another young player, Stanley, described Downer as a tough coach. “He was very loud, you know? I heard him. I remember the first time he went up to me. He went up to my mom. He went up to my stepdad. He said all of us, my brothers, we had talent. My first year in fourth season, he believed in me, he saw potential, and I will never forget what he told my mom. He said that I was the key to the way out. Coach D believed me since Day 1.”

Stanley continued in part, “He always tried to fix mistakes where it’s due and give credit where it’s due. I know sometimes I used to get on his bad side, or even get him mad, but I know Coach D loved me, and not seeing him anymore, even him telling me to do another push up or a lap, it hurts. I still hear him too. I love Coach D a lot. I’m thankful for him pushing me to my limits and making me the better player and a better person. Rest in peace Coach D.”

 

Norwood News spoke to Michael Husbands at one point during the vigil who said he’d been coaching alongside Downer for the last three years. “Coach was a good man,” Husbands said. “He loved these kids. He loved football. He gave his time. It was 100% effort from all his kids, and I wasn’t even aware of how much of his time he dedicated until he passed, and it’s devastating.”

He continued, “Both of my boys played with him, and just a conversation a couple months ago, one of my sons was saying, ‘Thank God for him because I wouldn’t have had played football if it wasn’t for him.’ And I’m glad I got the opportunity to tell him that before he passed. So, he will be missed. It’s some big shoes to fill. The impact he made on me, like falling in love with football again. It’s been like learning Xs and Os from them, through him, through the boys, and it was such a blessing just having him around, and like this is a shock to the system.”

 

Following news of Downer’s passing, as reported, one social media post from DeWitt Clinton Football read, “Over the past 6 years, our community has been blessed to have Coach D volunteer his time and teach the Bronx youth the game of football.”

The post continued, in part, “He never missed a game or practice. Coach D was a role model for students of all ages in the Bronx. He truly cared about the person more than the player. He helped and mentored multiple student athletes and did this on his own time and never asked to be compensated for his time. Just know our community is a better place because of his hard work and love for his community. Coach D, you will be missed. And we know he’ll be with us every time we step on the field. RIP”

 

Meanwhile, the president of the NYC Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA)’s executive board also extended his condolences to the Downer family on social media. He said Downer was a retired NYC Department of Corrections officer, who had served the agency “admirably” for nearly 30 years.

The post continued in part, “We all mourn this tragic loss to both our COBA family and to his community.” Of the fatal accident, police said officers from the 47th Precinct responded to a 911 call on Nov 30 regarding a pedestrian [Downer] who had been struck at the intersection of Givan Avenue and Eastchester Road in the East Bronx, south of Edenwald.

 

As reported, a police spokesperson said, “Further investigation by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad determined that a 2013 BMW 328 XI, operated by a 24-year-old male was traveling eastbound on Eastchester Road, when he struck an unknown pick-up truck that was traveling northbound on Givan Avenue.”

“After the initial impact, the BMW collided with a parked and unattended 2020 Acura MDX, a 2007 Nissan Murano, and a 60-year-old male pedestrian who was standing alongside the Nissan,” the spokesperson added. “After striking the pedestrian, the BMW collided with a parked and unattended 2014 Honda Accord and a 2007 Toyota Camry.”

 

Police said EMS responded to the scene and transported the pedestrian to NYC Health and Hospitals/Jacobi where he was pronounced deceased. They said the driver of the BMW remained at the scene and was later also transported by EMS to NYC Health and Hospitals/Jacobi for minor injuries. They said there are no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad.

A GoFund Me page was set up for Downer’s family to help cover the cost of funeral arrangements and any other related costs incurred. Any remaining funds will be donated to the football programs where he volunteered his time.

 

Funeral details for Downer were later published, with visitation on Friday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Eastchester Presbyterian Church, followed by a church service. Those who cannot attend in person are invited to join via Zoom using Meeting ID: 821 3561 9406 and Passcode: 577481.

Back at the vigil, Andrews ensured to make a call to action to the players, saying, “Kids, I’m begging you! Like I said in Clinton, please don’t let his life be in vain. Please don’t let everything that he gave you, that he wanted to give you be lost and forgotten. For those of you who had no other reason to be great, please let this be your reason. Love each other. Take care of each other.”

 

To view some short videos of the vigil, click here, here, here and here.