Jasper Howard,UConn Cornerback Dies After On-Campus Stabbing

R.I.P. Jasper Howard stabbed student athlete

A University of Connecticut football player has died following an on-campus stabbing, hours after the team’s victory over Louisville. An administration official says 20-year-old Jasper Howard was stabbed during a fight early today. The starting cornerback led the Big East in punt returns last season.

The University of Connecticut  is located in Storrs, Connecticut.

Jasper Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. The dance was not related to the game, police said.

Students at a school-sponsored dance were evacuating the Student Union after a fire alarm was pulled, according to police. An altercation broke out outside the building, where Howard and another person were stabbed. Police said the unknown second victim was treated and released from a local hospital.

Howard had a tough childhood growing up in Miami. He was the first in his family to attend college, and his dream was to make the NFL to support his single mother financially.

Now, that will never come to pass.

University President Michael Hogan told The Associated Press the stabbing is a tragedy for the entire university community.

“I was in the locker room after the game yesterday. It was such a joyous moment,” Hogan said. “To go from that game and such a victory to the developments at 12:30 last night is such a tragedy.”

Police cordoned off the crime scene near the Storrs university’s well-known Gampel Pavilion basketball arena.

Jasper Howard had made a pivotal play in Saturday’s game and had given an interview to The Hartford-Courant…

Jasper Howard reached in to pull the ball away from Louisville’s Bilal Powell and had flashbacks to last year.

Louisville wide receiver Doug Beaumont had gained 31 yards on a pass from Hunter Cantwell and had a clear path down the middle of the field when Howard caught up and grabbed him from behind.

“I felt my hand on [the football] and I just stripped it out,” Howard said. “Once I feel my hand on the ball, I’m going to tug away at it.”

This was a terrible turn of events given the celebration that the whole campus was in to following their victory over Louisville earlier in the day.

I send my condolences to his family, friends, and team mates.

For more information for this case, click on these links:

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/18/jasper-howard-stabbed-uco_n_325125.html

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-ucfootsideone1018.artoct18,,11852.story