Sports

#RIP34

February 3, 2016February 7, 2016 Katie M 1089 Views 0 Comments Jibri Bryan, Mercer University, Mercer University Basketball

Update: The Mercer men’s team returned to the court for their first game after Bri’s passing yesterday, Feb 6. They jumped out to a 14-2 in the opening minutes of the game and never lost the lead. They ended up beating The Citadel 88-72. Emotions were definitely running high in the game and you could tell the guys were on their A game. I watched the game on ESPN3, thank goodness for technology, and could tell that the atmosphere in the Hawk yesterday was something special. It should also be noted that the women also won their game yesterday against UNCG by a margin of 34 points……Jibri’s number.

Jibri’s family has also set up an official paypal account to help with the cost of funeral expenses as well as immediate needs. Click here if you would like to donate. If you have any questions or would like more information on how to donate, please contact Bud Thomas by email at budt.thomas5@gmail.com or by phone at 303-949-0970

I’m not even sure how to begin this post. I have all these words bottled up inside of me but I can’t get them out in a coherent sentence. I sit here with tears streaming down my cheeks and my body still in shock from the news yesterday.

Why did this have to happen? Why did it have to happen to one of the nicest people this world has known? Why did it have to happen to a person who had their entire life ahead of them? Why did it have to happen to Jibri?

My very first thought after I saw the news break on twitter was one of panic, not because it was the Flash Foods in downtown Macon or that, the intersection where it happened, is one of the busiest intersections in downtown Macon. I panicked because it was a Tuesday afternoon, in broad daylight, during basketball season; and that Flash Foods is less than a half block away from my high school. Thoughts were racing through my head that it could’ve a Mt de Sales student running down to the store to get something before the game. Then slowly, the news started coming out, it was a Mercer student, it was a Mercer basketball player, it was Jibri.

Why?

Jibri was one of the nicest people I have ever gotten the chance to know. He was laughing, always there to tell a joke, and always had a smile on his face. It didn’t matter if he was injured or just having a bad day, he always knew how to make people smile. The one that sticks out in my head the most is when Jibri and Jake were working down at Five Star one summer and I was shopping for a new car. They decided to show me just how big the trunk of the car was and both of them proceeded to climb into the trunk and both fit too, just about perfectly. Just the thought of remembering two 6+ ft basketball players climbing into a trunk and both fitting, is enough to make me start laughing.

On the court, from the two short years that I got to watch him play, Jibri proved to be a fierce competitor. He played with the most heart, drive, and determination that I’ve ever seen from any player. He didn’t let his injuries slow him down, at all. And when he was injured, he was there on the bench, smiling that big smile of his and cheering and pushing his team on against whoever they were playing. Off the court, he put just as much intensity, passion, and love for people into his everyday life. He was a ray of sunshine to everyone in his life and he was such a joy to be around.

My heart is heavy. Jibri’s passing is such a senseless tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to the basketball team, the athletic department, the Mercer community, his friends, but most importantly his family, especially his two year old son, Jibri Jr.

O Loving Father and Savior, send your angels to carry the soul of your servant from this Earth to the heavenly place of eternal and everlasting life. Let family and friends who have passed before in faith be reunited in joy with the departed. Forgive any wrongs that have been committed and welcome this beloved spirit into the warm embrace of your unending peace. Amen.