ELBERTA, Ala. — Elberta High School paused before Friday night’s season opener to honor one of its own — a football player whose absence was felt deeply across the community.
Connor Burgess, 16, died in June following an ATV accident. Before the game, the Elberta Warriors retired his number, 52, in a tribute that wove his memory into the fabric of the team’s season.
A jersey, a banner and a moment of silence
Kristy Burgess, Connor’s mother, said school leaders held a moment of silence and presented her with his jersey in a shadow box. A banner featuring Connor in his football uniform will now hang alongside the other seniors’ banners. Connor would have been a junior this fall.
The team also took the field wearing No. 52 helmet stickers, carrying his number with them into the opener.
‘I kept my promise to him’
For Kristy Burgess, the night fulfilled a promise she made to her son in the hospital before he died.
“I promised that night I would have him on the field the first game. And I was able to find this necklace and put some of his ashes in it, so I had him on the field that first game. I kept my promise to him,” she said.
A legacy of giving
Kristy Burgess said Connor was an organ donor who has given several people a second chance at life — a final act of generosity that continues to touch others.
A GoFundMe page has been created to support Connor’s family as they navigate the loss.