State/Carolina - Perspecive - Please Read

Godspeed to this young man and his family.

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ESPN.com news services

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina starting center Jason Brown learned Sunday that his brother was killed in Iraq, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Wednesday.
Brown, a junior, was informed his brother, Specialist Lunsford B. Brown II, had died from mortar fire on Saturday, the paper said.

According to the newspaper's report, Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman, confirmed Tuesday that Lunsford Brown, 27, was one of two soldiers killed in an attack in Abu Gareeb, Iraq on Saturday. Stover told the News & Observer that Brown was a member of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion based in Germany.

After receiving the news, North Carolina coach John Bunting drove Jason Brown home to Henderson, N.C., the paper reported. Buntin and assistant athletics director Corey Holliday remained with the Brown family throughout the day before returning to Chapel Hill.

Jason Brown returned to practice on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to play Saturday, according to the News & Observer.

"My family is dealing with a tremendous and tragic loss," Brown said in a statement released by the university. "My heart is still with them in Henderson, but I chose to come back today because the football team is my second family. It means a lot to have so many people here in Chapel Hill who care for me and know what our family is going through."

In a telephone interview with the News & Observer, Brown's mother, Deborah, said the family is planning to attend Saturday's game at NC State. She told the paper she had encouraged Jason to return to school and the team.

Holliday, who is in charge of player relations, told the paper that bereavement counselors from the university's Center for Healthy Student Behaviors are available to talk with players. Jason's professors will be contacted by the team's academic support staff, according to the paper.

 

Good move, Coach.

 

And also an NCAA rules violation to provide transportation since this was not available to all UNC students. However, nothing will or should come of it. (I'd have done it myself too.)

Here's hoping he plays the game of his life!

 

I was thinking that too as soon as I read it.

I hope nothing comes of it from the NCAA - I think it's crazy that they go after coaches and schools for helping out a kid when there is a death in the family.

 

He finally made a good move this year, I just hope this one doesn't bite him on the ass from the NCAA.

 

If it does, I swear I will personally drive to Indianapolis and take a shit on the steps of the headquarters.

I wonder if State will have a moment of silence or something like that. That might be too much of a downer though. Anybody remember that UNC/UVA game where the ref had a heart attack and was dead on the field (he was revived and lived)? The entire second half of that game was like a funeral.

 

That was Jim Knight. His crew worked the State-OSU game. He's a member at Providence Baptist, like we are, but I've never really talked to him. Has grandkids in the nursery, etc.

 

That was one lucky ************. If he had had that heart attack anywhere else in the world (except maybe an emergency room) he would be dead.

 

State should not have a moment of silence. Players all over the country lose family members on a daily basis in pro and college sports. almost every sporting event would have a moment of silence.

 

Yep, I was there. Took a while to figure out what the hell was going on. That was one lucky ref to make it through all that.