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Teammates, Friends Crushed By East Bay Quarterback's Death

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Matt Brown, center, places his hand on the shoulder of teammate Geoffery Hayes as Chaz Burrows, right, looks down during a news conference Tuesday in Gibsonton.

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By MIKE WELLS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2008

Play to win, but have fun doing it.

That's how Rex "Scooter" Ballenger Jr., East Bay High's 5-foot-9-inch quarterback, lived life on the field and off, said his coach, teammates and father. Each spoke today at the school about how they are leaning on each other and trying to find something positive in the young man's death.

Ballenger, 18, of Apollo Beach, died Monday at Tampa General Hospital after succumbing to massive head injuries sustained in a vehicle crash on Saturday morning on Big Bend Road at U.S. 41.

Ballenger was driving a 1997 Saturn sedan west when it hit the back of a semitrailer. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The other driver was not hurt. The crash is still under investigation.

He would have graduated May 28 as one of a close-knit class of 300 students, Principal Sharon Morris said.

Sitting at a conference table, head football coach Brian Thornton had a difficult time today talking about the young man he has coached for three years. Thornton is in his 15th year as East Bay's coach. Ballenger took over as starting quarterback during his sophomore year.

"That little guy was one tough kid," Thornton said. "Rex was a live wire. If he was playing darts, he was playing to win."

Ballenger was unique for his size and unequalled competitiveness, Thornton said. As an offensive player, he read an opposing team's defensive alignment and made smart decisions quickly.

"With Rex as quarterback, we always knew we had a shot to win," Thornton said. "He played with his heart."

Thornton said he has received phone calls from coaches around Hillsborough County and the country who knew Ballenger as a great player.

Because of his size, Ballenger wasn't holding out hope for a football scholarship, Thornton said.

"Not a lot of colleges are looking for a 5-foot-9-inch quarterback," he said.

That didn't matter to Ballenger, though, the coach said.

"He wasn't playing football to win a scholarship," Thornton said. "I wish more athletes played like that."

Thornton said he was crushed by the loss and felt an immediate need to be with the family and other players.

"It's more than just football to us," Thornton said. "We get to know them real well. There's no limits. It's like a family thing."

"This is a kid we've been through a lot with," Thornton said. "We've taken him to football camp, cooked meals together, prayed together. These are the same things you'd do with your own kids. This is a mind-boggling event how his life could be over at 18."

The coach is seeking to have Ballenger's No. 10 jersey retired at the school.

It will be worn one more time Thursday night by junior Chaz Burrows, 17. East Bay is playing in a four-team jamboree against Riverview in Brandon at 6:30 p.m.

"It's kind of ironic," Thornton said. "Beating Riverview was a big thing for Rex. We're going to do our best to pull together and even play well, too."

Burrows said he was honored to be chosen to wear his friend's jersey.

"It's very hard," he said. "We've played together since sixth grade. It's a lot of love. Football is like a family. All of us talk to each other, hug each other and pick each other up. Everybody loves Rex."

More than 150 of the teen's friends showed up at the hospital over the weekend.

"I was there," said senior Matt Brown, 18. "It was real hard. Everybody was just sitting there in silence waiting for the call."

Ballenger's parents were with doctors making the decision to pull him off life support.

"Then we got a text message, and I don't know, everybody just started bawling," Brown said.

Junior Geoff Hayes, 17, looked up to Ballenger, who would coach him from the sidelines, he said.

"Rex knew me when I couldn't catch the football," Hayes said. "He helped me learn."

Going into Thursday's jamboree, the players will feel a huge absence, he said.

"It's not going to be the same," Hayes said. "Nowhere near the same."

More than 200 East Bay students took advantage of the district's counselors on Monday and another 100 today , Morris said.

The counselors are seeing anger as students question why something like this could happen, she said.

"They ask what's going to happen next with funeral arrangements and graduation," she said. "And they ask, 'What can we do?'"

Ballenger was also an honor student who was looking for academic scholarships, Morris said.

He didn't belong to any cliques and preferred to be his own person, she said.

"Rex wasn't part of one group," Morris said. "He was part of every group. Rex wouldn't allow himself to fit in a clique or a group."

The teen's father agreed.

"Even kids that are challenged at this school ate lunch with him," said Rex Ballenger Sr., 48. "He wouldn't let anybody pick on them."

The support from students, staff and friends has been overwhelming, he said. He and his wife, Janell Ballenger, 44, lost count after more than 120 people flooded the hospital.

"We had kids there" at the hospital "I couldn't make leave," Ballenger said. "I couldn't let everybody see Rex because there were just so many people."

East Bay High is pulling together through this loss and other recent tragic incidents involving students, Morris said.

Her advice to teachers and staff: "Love them. Love them like they're your own."

"It's tough," she said, drying her eyes. "You want to help your kids; you want to help them through terrible times. It's just, how do you help them?"

The importance of wearing seat belts will be discussed with students "when the healing process starts," Morris said.

That's the message to learn from all this loss, Ballenger Sr. said.

"Put your seat belt on," he said. "Give a one-second thought at that. Make a decision and think about Rex if you're going out to do something."

In his son's case, the message came too late, he said. His son was driving home from a friend's home after spending the night.

"All that's immaterial," Ballenger Sr. said. "One day he's here; one day he's gone."

The family plans to have their son cremated and to host a party for his many friends at a time and location to be announced.

In addition to his parents, Ballenger Jr. was survived by two siblings, John Watson, 21, and Jennifer Watson, 24.

Donations to assist the family with arrangements may be made to the Rex Ballenger Memorial Fund at the SunTrust bank in downtown Ruskin.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.

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