PALATKA, Fla. — In Palatka, flashes of neon green catch the eye. These wristbands, worn by players and students, serve as a tribute to Robert Gillon—known affectionately as RJ—whose memory has become a rallying point for the Palatka Panthers football team. He died suddenly from cardiac arrest.
“He was the type of kid you wished everybody in your program could be more like,” head coach Patrick Turner said.
The Panthers have endured a tumultuous season filled with challenges, including RJ’s passing. The loss comes in the wake of another tragedy: the school’s mourning of cheerleader Baylee Holbrook last year.
“This season has been anything but normal,” Turner said. “We’ve had hurricanes, and now, we’re dealing with the tragic loss of RJ. But the team has come together. The community has rallied behind us.”
The wristbands bear a simple message: "Live like RJ. Be like RJ." For many players, RG’s death was their first encounter with loss.
“Everybody handles grief differently,” Turner said. “Some players were closer to him than others, and for some, this was the first time experiencing loss in their lives.”
Turner, in his 20 years of coaching, had never lost a student until RJ. The experience, he said, put life in perspective.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” Turner said. “It really made us reflect on what’s important in life and how precious these kids are.”
Even through the heartbreak, Turner urges his players to keep RJ’s spirit alive.
“Be like RJ” Turner tells them.