The Young Man They Called "Dek"
All who attended lit a candle in memory of Dek. He will forever be loved and remembered.
Photo By: Steve Schowiak | VIEW GALLERY
Friends and family put together a collage of Dek and decorated the table with flowers.
Photo By: Steve Schowiak | VIEW GALLERY
Written By: Dev Panchagh
GERMANTOWN, MD - A group of family, teammates, classmates, faculty and friends remembered Edwin "Dek" Miller - a 16-year-old junior from Northwest High School who died tragically last Monday after collapsing during football practice - at a candlelight vigil held on Wednesday night, inside of the stadium.
More than 200 mourners gathered onto the bleachers to view the memorial to Miller, which included a framed, poster-sized football card, which was signed by those who were in attendance, and a collage of personal photographs.
The group sat in remembrance of the young football player, and eventually made their way down to the track to light candles, as the Michael Jackson song "Gone Too Soon" played through the speakers. "Gone too soon" was certainly the theme of night.
Speakers spoke eloquently throughout the proceedings about Miller's life being cut too short -- how he had many goals left to achieve and a new school year to look forward to.
"[Dek had] a commitment to excellence to get back onto the football field, get on the honor roll and to make his mark at Northwest," explained Sylvia Morrison, who is principal of Northwest High School. Morrison merely recited the goals that Miller had expressed to her during the last one-on-one conversation that the two had in May, during the final examination period.
Northwest football head coach Mark Maradei expressed the same sentiments. "He was working hard to be successful. [He] worked hard to come back."
That come back would be from a hip injury that Miller suffered the year before, preventing him from taking the field with his team. Still, the young football player attended spring conditioning and hit the weight room during the summer. In Maradei's view, Miller was in shape and ready to play a "significant" role for the team.
"He was [projected] to play on both sides of the ball and could [have been] a starter. We liked him at outside linebacker. He knew the X and the Z [positions at receiver]. He was very athletic."
Beyond what Miller brought to the football team as a player, Maridei also remembers the type of person that he was. "He was just a great kid. He had high character."
Miller's character was a running theme throughout the night.
Lisa Brooks, the mother of Andre Brooks, the team captain and best friend to Miller, shared that the young man was "such a well-mannered boy - the perfect kid."
"He was quiet and very respectful," said Marion Biselle, a team mom and organizer of the vigil. "[He was a] really nice young man, with good manners. He gave the impression that he wanted to start and come back"
Miller's funeral is scheduled for July 18 at Covenant United Methodist Church.
Written By: James Hudson
Thursday July 2, 2009 was a normal day and the day of an offseason practice with the football team for Edwin "Dek" Miller until things turned for the worse. He showed signs of dehydration and collapsed soon after at Northwest High School.
The rising junior was working out in hopes of getting better for the upcoming season in which he was to be on the Varsity football team. All those close to him had nice things to say about the focused athlete. His uncle said that he "couldn't wait for his mom to take him to practice or anything related to football so he caught the bus."
Some don't know exactly how to feel because the school community witnessed two deaths within the same week and can't believe what occurred in either instance. Dek was a loyal friend and excellent student as Jacqueline Orrence, a school administrator, called him a "promising athlete, great kid and quiet."
Everyone who knew the student at Northwest High had positive things to say, "Dek's passing is a blow to the football team and the Northwest community." It truly is as the team has lost many seniors and a few juniors and look forward to rebuilding the once very strong team.
July 2, 2009 marked the death of a football player and also an incredible student.
