{"id":49386,"date":"2024-09-04T16:28:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T20:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=49386"},"modified":"2024-09-04T16:28:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T20:28:18","slug":"teammates-hold-vigil-for-aaron-tillman-polk-county-football-player-who-died-kayaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2024\/09\/04\/teammates-hold-vigil-for-aaron-tillman-polk-county-football-player-who-died-kayaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Teammates hold vigil for Aaron Tillman\u00a0Polk County football player who died kayaking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Teammates of the Polk County teen who died while kayaking this weekend held a vigil in his honor Tuesday evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never thought that Thursday would be my last day seeing him and playing with him and him asking me, \u2018What\u2019s the next play? What\u2019s this play?\u2019\u201d said Daveion Butler, a senior at Ambassadors Christian Academy in Winter Haven.<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the team\u2019s captains, Aaron Tillman, 18, died this weekend. The Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office said he disappeared while kayaking in Lake McLeod Sunday. Deputies found his body Monday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d said sophomore Jayce Kuchinskas. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t have happened to anybody \u2014 especially not him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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School leaders brought the team together for a vigil at East Central Park, displaying his number 50 jersey. Fellow team captain Eryk Anglin wore a shirt with Aaron\u2019s picture on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to make it special for him, let everyone know I\u2019m here. I\u2019m gonna rep his name forever,\u201d said Eryk, a junior at ACA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eryk said he taught Aaron how to play football when he started at the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven though he didn\u2019t know a lot, he\u2019ll tell the other teammates, \u2018We got it.\u2019 Every play, every play, \u2018We got it.\u2019 Consistent with it. He pushed himself hard, and that was the kind of guy he was,\u201d Eryk said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Coaches said Aaron enrolled at the school after he moved to the area from Atlanta in February. They said the team spent so much time together between school and practice. They became like family. That\u2019s why they said holding the vigil was important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs bad as this situation is as a loss, it really let a lot of the kids, and we\u2019re already seeing it, make them see how important it is to stay in communication with each other,\u201d said ACA Athletic Director and Assistant Coach Jay Gissendaner. \u201cIt\u2019s like, \u2018No, he\u2019s not just my teammate \u2014 that\u2019s my brother.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ACA Stallions have a game in Clearwater this Friday. While Aaron won\u2019t be on the field, they said he\u2019ll be in their hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery time we go on the field, it\u2019s always gonna be for Aaron,\u201d said Daveion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aaron Tillman who died while kayaking remembered as “gentle giant”<\/a><\/blockquote>