At funeral, friends and family honor Chaparral football star who died in shooting

Richard Nelson had already found a way to stand out on Chaparral High School’s football team: He’d racked up the yards and the touchdowns and made second-team all-state. And when he saw a chance to get to the next level, college football, he seized it.

At a memorial service Sunday afternoon, Missouri State University football recruiter Mack Brown remembered Nelson messaging him on Twitter and asking him to “give him a chance to play on the team.”

The tweets, and tenacity, paid off. Brown recruited Nelson, who signed a letter of intent last winter to play football on a scholarship. Brown joined several coaches and friends to pay tribute to Nelson, who died Jan. 14 in a shooting as he tried to break up a fight to defend his sister.

About 100 people gathered at Paradise Seventh-Day Adventist Church to remember the 18-year-old, whom coaches, friends and family described as a “life taken too soon.” Some attendees wore jerseys with No. 20, Nelson’s basketball and football number.

“Most of us look for something to hold on to,” George Tuioti, defensive coordinator of Chaparral’s football team, said during Nelson’s funeral service. “The Lord is not concerned by how we die, but how we live. We are all living on borrowed time. It’s what we do in this life that defines us. Richard passed the test.”

The open-casket funeral let friends and family say their final farewells, while a photo slideshow displayed scenes of Nelson playing football, flexing his muscles and reading to children.

Nelson’s friend and former Chaparral football teammate Malachi Miles flew in from Reno, where he attends university, to honor his fallen friend. Miles said he is trying to create positive energy out of the situation and keep up his faith in God.

Miles’ father, Charles, appeared at peace as he remembered Nelson.

“You come along on this Earth and become a hero. What can you ask for? Not many people do that,” Charles Miles said.

Shortly before the funeral, Nelson’s mother, Roxanne Bruce, said, “I have no feelings. I’m just down and sad. That’s all I’m feeling today.”

Bonita Faye, Nelson’s aunt, stepped in when Bruce was too overwhelmed to read a speech.

“The day he came into the world, he brought nothing but joy,” Faye said. “His love was genuine and pure. I’m so proud of him. He made it to the top and he will always be remembered.”

Chaparral coaches and administrators described Nelson as a “humble yet determined leader” who set an admirable example.

“Richard set goals and he obtained those goals,” Chaparral Principal Lolo James said. “He always aspired to become something. Next time you’re in a situation, think of Richard and how he would handle it. Use him as a reference.”

Missouri State University students and coaches remembered Nelson for his easy, persistent smile.

“In the short time that I knew him, his encouragement and support lived out to the very end,” said Dave Steckel, Missouri State’s head football coach. “Our football family loves him. I love him. His cousin Ricky will wear the number 20 for the rest of his career at Missouri State.”

After the service, family and friends gathered in the rain for Nelson’s burial at Davis Funeral Homes and Memorial Park. At the graveside, Nelson’s older sister, Oniesha Coleman, sang “Pray” and “Champion,” two songs she wrote and dedicated to her brother.

“This life is hard. I know it’s rough. If you fall down, get right back up,” Coleman sang. “Don’t give in. Keep your fight. Everything will be all right. Just know you’re a champion.”

The crowd rose to its feet for a moment of silence and sang “Amazing Grace” before Nelson’s body was lowered into the ground.

“He’s a good kid,” Nelson’s father, Richard Nelson Sr. said, holding back tears. “I couldn’t ask for nothing more. He was the best. He was very loved and inspired all the kids in many ways.”

Sunday’s somber service and burial stood in stark contrast to a celebration of Nelson’s life the night before. Just before 7 p.m. Saturday, about 50 people gathered to party on the driveway of 4800 Sacks Drive.

Guests, many in their early 20s, mingled in small groups, danced to rap music and trickled in and out of the house, where Bruce had laid trays of food and arranged a candlelit shrine to her son.

“The point of tonight is not to mourn, not to be sad, not to feel that pain for even a moment, and instead celebrate,” said Coleman, who at 20 is just two years older than Nelson. “We don’t want to cry about how we lost a life. We want to celebrate the fact that we were even able to have this life with us.”

Bruce smiled down at a photo of her son and said, “At first, it was really sad, but I’ve cried enough. I don’t want his murderer to see us crying and think he won. He didn’t win; God won.”

Review-Journal writer Kimber Laux contributed to this report. Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter. Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.