BLYTHEWOOD – One day after the Blythewood football team won its second game of the season Friday night, the team, school, and community fell into despair at the shock of losing a valued player and friend.
Defensive lineman Troy Moore, a 6-5, 315-pound junior who took part in his team’s 34-7 victory over Midland Valley, passed away in early Saturday morning.
For all the sadness, the focal point in an all-hands meeting at Blythewood High Tuesday morning following the Labor Day weekend was that of concern for both faculty and students, and a celebration of Moore’s life, character, and work ethic that made him a standout both as a varsity football player and varsity basketball player, and a standout in the school’s classrooms, hallways and athletic facilities.
“We talked about the facts, that our kids are going to be leaning on their trusted adults and we wanted to have them prepared as much as possible to have open and honest conversations,” Principal Matt Sherman said. “We understand that our kids needed to have open and honest conversations about this. We needed to work on our relationship with the kiddos even if it means that we put teaching and learning on hold, and I agreed with that and signed off on that.”
From that point the meeting took a more celebratory tone, in which Sherman gave Blythewood teachers and staff his experience with Moore.
“I’m a much better person, a much better principal having experienced his positive spirit and determination,” he said. “I knew that when I saw him in a crowd that good things were happening. You hope and pray you get to meet a kid like him.”
He added that if the school and community takes any positivity out of Moore’s passing, it was that he was a great example of the school’s core values, “and by far he was a shining example.”
“His mom met with the team yesterday (Monday) and while she was obviously hurting, she told us she found strength in that moment,” Sherman added. “They were not only his teammates, she said, but also her children, too, and when we reflected on our loss, it more or less gave us the charge to live every day and appreciate every moment.”
Once Moore’s death became known, outpourings of grief filled social media by Saturday afternoon, including one Blythewood Football post on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Troy Moore, a cherished member of our (Bengal tiger emoji) family. His talent, dedication, & bright spirit made a lasting impact on all. Thoughts & prayers with his family & friends during this time. Keep our community in prayer. Rest Easy, Troy. (black heart emoji)”
Jarious Byrd, Moore’s defensive line coach posted this response on X:
“This one hurts very bad,” Byrd began. “When we first heard the news that you passed away this morning. Our entire staff immediately broke down and cried. Praying for your family, our players, and the entire Blythewood community. (praying hands emoji) Seeing you grow up as an amazing young man these past 3 years and having the opportunity to be one of your football coaches was a complete honor. You always kept a smile on your face no matter what. We will dedicate the rest of this season to you.”
On Monday, Blythewood Head Coach James Martin told WIS 10 TV that Moore “has a great heart.”
“Always had a smile on his face,” Martin added. “Never got upset, never got too unsettled. He was always constant that’s what I loved about him … Just to remember his smile and just to watch him walk down the hall being 6′6 and 300 pounds, you can’t [miss] him. He was a gentle giant.”
Moore may have been a gentle giant, but he put in the work needed to be a well-rounded player on the field and a student in school.
“He did it the right way, you can’t say anything else,” Martin said. “He’s the type of young man you want in your program because you don’t have to worry about what he does or how he does it; it’s just going to be the right way.”
The football team decided to dedicate the season to Moore. They will wear decals with the initials TM and with his number, No.51, on their helmets. The team will hold a press conference Wednesday.
“Today was a great day,” Sherman concluded about Tuesday. “It was very tough, but when we celebrated the life of Troy, it put a smile on our face, especially when we put our thoughts about Troy on paper. I can definitely state there were a lot more smiles and stories about Troy than there was sadness.”