"Harps' football coach, Michael Hendricks Sr., said many young people on the team had played together since they were 12. "[TJ] brought a very strong energy to our team," Coach Hendricks said. "He might've made one block, but he made that block well worth it." He said sports were key to helping kids stay out of trouble and helped TJ turn his life around."
""We gotta save these kids, man," Hendricks said. "I can't stop the guns, I can't stop anything. But if I can go out and grab a kid in the street and say, 'Yo, come play football for me,' I can do that." Harps was starting to get his grades up and had told his coach, "I'm back to reality," according to Hendricks."
Tyson "TJ" Harps Jr., 16, was shot multiple times in Crown Heights on Nov. 1 and pronounced dead at the scene. A funeral in Harlem on Nov. 15 drew dozens of loved ones, teammates, and the Urban Justice League coach. Teammates had played together since age 12, and the coach emphasized TJ's strong energy, the role of sports in keeping youth out of trouble, and efforts to recruit kids away from the streets. Harps had improved his grades, planned to attend Independence High School as a transfer student, and enjoyed family gatherings, football, music, video games, and time with siblings and friends. Mourners released balloons and 17 doves.
Read at Bronx Times
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