Family, friends and students gathered on the band field at Charles Henderson High School Thursday morning to pay tribute Demario Harris Jr. who tragically passed a way a year ago after sustaining an injury during a football game.

Joined by his parents, many students and faculty dawned the shirts that were handed out a year ago saying #flyhigh10 to pay tribute to Harris.

It was a day of mixed emotions for Demario Harris Sr., who was overwhelmed by the support and the love shared by the school and the community.

“It means a lot to us. This community, the City of Troy and the Troy school system have supported us since the onset,” Harris Sr. said. “It means a lot to be able to have help to keep Demario’s name alive. Words can’t describe how I feel.”

He said the support the family received showed the impact Demario had on people.

“It’s hard to describe. I never would of thought that my son would have an impact on the community like he has. It has been overwhelming at times …We have had constant support from this community and words can’t explain what it means,” Harris said.

After gathering the students and faculty together, head football coach Brad McCoy spoke about Demario and then the group paused in prayer to reflect and honor Demario.

“If I could describe him in one word, it would be passionate,” Harris Sr. said of his late son. “He was passionate about everything and paid attention to detail. I was going through a couple of his notebooks the other day and his attention to detail, he made sure he had all his I’s dotted and his T’s crossed. In the process he touched a lot of people. To leave a legacy after 17 short years … what can you say?”

The football team left campus shortly after the gathering to Mobile to play Davidson, the same team they a played a year ago when the tragic injury occurred.

Harris Sr. wants the players to play the game the way his son would have played but also to work hard in the classroom.

“Keep his passion,” Harris Sr. told the students gathered on Thursday. “Anyone who knew Demario knew he went all out. Keep his passion and drive and go all out. We had a comment that he left it all on the field, but his field was not only the football field. It was the classroom and in the community. He did everything he could do and left it all there and you can see the results.”