NFL pays tribute to 3 Virginia players killed in November shooting before NFL draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL honored the lives of Virginia football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis and D’Sean Perry before the start of the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night.

The three players were killed in a shooting on Nov. 13 when a former walk-on member of the team allegedly opened fire on a charter bus that had returned from a field trip in Washington D.C.

The players’ families were on stage for the tribute and presented with NFL jerseys with their names on them as they were honorary draftees of their favorite teams. Chandler’s family was presented with a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey, Perry’s family was presented with a Miami Dolphins jersey and Davis’ family received a Ravens jersey and posed for pictures with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Virginia running back Mike Hollins was one of two wounded in the shooting. His recovery has been remarkable and he returned for spring practice earlier this year. Virginia canceled the rest of its season following the shooting.

Christopher Darnell Jones has been charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of Chandler, Davis and Perry along with other charges. Jones was a walk-on running back for a season.

NFL also honors Dartmouth coach

Before the ceremony for the Virginia players, the NFL also paid tribute to coach Buddy Teevens. The longtime Dartmouth coach was seriously injured earlier this year when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Florida.

Teevens, 66, lost his right leg because of the injuries he suffered in the incident and also suffered a spinal cord injury. Per police, Teevens was struck by a truck has he crossed a road in St. Augustine while biking back from a restaurant with his wife.

Teevens is Dartmouth’s all-time winningest coach with 117 victories and has also been the head coach at Tulane and Stanford.