As we noted in TheRoundUp, today is the one-year anniversary of the murder of Jasper Howard. I'm not sure I have all that much I can add to what's been written around Connecticut today, but I did want to take a chance to make special note of it and repost the above video.
I still remember last year when I woke up to find my phone buzzing with news that something had happened to Howard and it wasn't good. As the news started to trickle in from Facebook, Twitter and the Boneyard, it became clear just how big of a tragedy had occured.
I didn't know Howard, but after all I've read, I sure wish I did. By all accounts he seems like a sincere and genuine young man who worked incredibly hard to get to where he did. He came out of one of the worst neighborhoods in Miami with a dream to make life better for his family -- including the baby daughter he'll never get to meet -- and he seemed to be well on his way.
In a just world, Howard would be in the middle of an all-conference senior season right now, and in a year's time he'd be playing on Sundays. Sadly, this isn't a just world, so today will be spent honoring the memory of someone taken from this world far too soon.
Rest in peace Jazz.