Ricky Brumfield had seen the news reports of a mass shooting on the campus of the University of Virginia. It wasn’t until the next morning that Brumfield realized that what happened was personal.
Virginia football players Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis were killed Nov. 13, 2022, when Christopher Jones allegedly opened fire in a parking garage on the Virginia campus in Charlottesville. Cavaliers football player Mike Hollins was one of two other people wounded during the shooting.
Brumfield, now the special-teams coordinator with the Yellow Jackets, began his day Nov. 14, 2022, by heading to work at Florida International, where he was the special-teams coordinator and associate head coach. Trying to gather more information, Brumfield called Hollins’ mother, who was at the airport boarding a plane in Louisiana in hopes of reaching Hollins in Virginia.
“When I heard (the news) I basically just closed my door and started crying,” Brumfield told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week. “I didn’t recruit (Hollins) to bring him up there for that to happen. I brought him from Louisiana to get him away from stuff.”
Brumfield was the special-teams coordinator from 2018-21 for Virginia. During his time with the Cavaliers he coached Davis and Perry on both of his special-teams units. Perry, a defensive lineman, served on Brumfield’s kick-blocking and kick-coverage units and Davis was on kick coverage.
Hollins was considered a three-star prospect coming out of University Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and signed with UVA as part of its 2019 recruiting class.
Brumfield spoke with reporters in August 2021 about how both Jones and Hollins were competing to be the Cavaliers’ kickoff returners.
“(Jones) has been back there a few years for us, and has done a good job for us,” he said. “Hollins is a running back, so once he touches the ball in his hands, good speed – did it in high school a little bit. He has a good understanding of what we want in the kick off return scheme, and he has been doing a pretty good job.”
Hollins remained with the UVA program after the 2022 shooting and returned for this his senior season. He has 185 rushing yards on 62 carries and has scored seven rushing touchdowns, five of which have come in the past two weeks.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key made sure Thursday to pay homage to Hollins ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
“I just have so much respect for him, so much respect for that football team,” Key said. “What (Hollins) has been able to accomplish after going through what he’s gone through and that team has gone through. He is, and as he should be, a true inspiration for all of college football across the country. And really the whole United States.
“This is a guy that’s been through a lot, the team’s been through a lot with him. He’s coming out and putting that team on his back in a lot of instances when they need it in short-yardage situations and down in the tight red area.”
Virginia has honored its three former players all season by having their names painted on the boundary surrounding the field inside Scott Stadium. There also was a memorial tree planting and plaque dedication in September before the Cavaliers’ home opener.
Saturday’s Georgia Tech-Virginia game will be the first opportunity for Brumfield to return to Charlottesville.
“It’s definitely going to be emotional,” Brumfield said. “I remember seeing (Hollins’) mom every pregame, where she stands, and just seeing the 81 (Davis), 41 (Perry) and 15 (Chandler) (painted) on the field. It’ll hit me. Right now, obviously I’m thinking about it, but it’ll hit once I get on that field and see everything.”
“When I go back and I watch the film and see some of the things I did at Virginia, I see 81 (Davis) and I see 41 (Perry), for me, it’s emotional.”
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