UConn Honors Slain Football Star

By DOUG GREENE and DEBRA BOGSTIE

Updated 7:11 AM EST, Thu, Oct 22, 2009

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NBC Connecticut

Thousands of Jasper Howard’s friends and classmates gathered Wednesday night in memory of the UConn football star who was killed in a stabbing last weekend.

The candlelight vigil was held outside the student union, the very place the 20-year-old junior and starting corner back from Miami was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning.

Candles flickered in memory of the student who many said brightened many lives.

"Play every play like it's the last play you're ever going to play, and I tell that to my team all the time because you never know," Huskies coach Randy Edsall told the gathering.

More Reaction to Howard's Death

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More Reaction to Howard's Death

Mourning the Loss of Jasper Howard

WATCH

Mourning the Loss of Jasper Howard

Howard was killed during a fight that broke out after someone pulled a fire alarm that evacuated a dance sponsored by the school's West Indian Awareness Organization and a fight began outside, according to police. His death has been ruled a homicide from a stab wound to the abdomen.

The mourners ended the vigil by walking to Mirror Lake, where they extinguished their candles and vowed to move forward with their lives.

Blicher said that police did not think that the stabbing was premeditated at that time. Now, Blicher said that was not exactly clear." Whether this was a premeditated incident or not is still the subject of a continuing investigation," he said, adding that he had never said whether the stabbing was premeditated or not. Though the investigation has been "making significant progress,"

As the school deals with the loss, Howard’s family returned to Florida to prepare for his funeral, which is expected to take place Monday in Miami.

On Saturday, when the Huskies play against the University of West Virginia on Saturday, there will be symbols of Howard, known as “Jazz” everywhere. His team will wear stickers that say “JH,” in memory of the star corner back and there will also be a moment of silence before the game, Coach Randy Edsall said on Tuesday. West Virginia players will wear a number 6 on their helmets in tribute to Howard.

On Monday, the members of the UConn football team will attend Howard’s funeral.

What Edsall still must decide is who will step in to play Howard’s role in the upcoming game.
Howard was leading the Big East in punt returns last season and had 11 tackles and a forced fumble in
UConn's 38-25 win Saturday over the University of Louisville.

West Virginia, a "very difficult place to play", a tremendous challenge, he said.

"Play your heart out for Jazz," his stepfather, Henry Williams told the team, "cause he'll be up there looking down and that's gonna satisfy him. That'll make him happy."

He also said he believes the case will be solved.

"We have a lot of pain," Williams told reporters. "We still have hurt, but we can go on now feeling a little better because a lot of our questions have been answered. The captain of the state police told me, 'The case will be solved,' and I believe him."

Howard was one of two UConn football players stabbed Sunday, police said.

Brian Parker, a 19-year-old UConn sophomore wide receiver, was also stabbed during the fight, according to police documents.

He was treated at Windham Hospital and released. At least one more teammate was with Howard and Parker when they were stabbed, Edsall told the Associated Press.

"One had Jasper in his arms and the other was pressuring where the wound went in and had blood on his hands," Edsall said. "And those two young men are pretty deeply affected right now."

Police have arrested Johnny Hood, 21, of Hartford and charged him with interfering with an officer and breach of peace. An incident report says witnesses identified Hood as being involved in the altercation and gave police a false name.

Hood told police he was looking around on the ground for his gold teeth, according to police records. He was arraigned Monday. He has not been charged with Howard's death.

Just hours before the stabbing, Howard had played a major role in UConn's win over Louisville during homecoming weekend. His former teammate, Rob Lunn, wrote a column about spending time with Jazz over the weekend.

Police have made one arrest, for interfering with an officer and breach of peace. And a Hartford attorney said he expects his client, a Bloomfield man, to be arrested in connection with the stabbing death of UConn football player.