James McGriff ... has it really been 15 years?

I was doing some research on past recruiting classes on Tuesday night when I came across the name of James McGriff. Has it really been 15 years since he passed? It seems like just yesterday ...

Thanks to the efforts of Joe Cohen, who followed McGriff at Palm Bay High School and wore the No. 20 in honor of him both for the Pirates and later at Florida, McGriff's name has not been forgotten. But I'm not sure people realize just how good of a player this guy was, and just how much his death impacted the Gators moving forward.

In the mid-90's, when I was old enough to start following the prep football scene in Brevard County, local programs had lost their grip on making an impact at the state level. Merritt Island had been a dominant force under Gerald Odom during the 70's and 80's. But while the Mustangs were still very good, they had taken a step back heading into the 90's. Their slide became even more pronounced when the legendary Odom resigned following the 1994 season after a dispute with members of the school administration.

At the time, Titusville was the last county team to win a state title, in 1983. But they had fallen into mediocrity in the years since then. Rockledge was a burgeoning state power, but hadn't quite yet figured out the equation to get past Glades Central. Astronaut always seemed to make an appearance in the state playoffs ... followed by a relatively quick exit.

Prep football in Brevard County appeared to be at a crossroads. Then, James McGriff happened.

The movement took place in small doses. Palm Bay was a middling .500-ish squad (give or take a game or two) throughout first few years of the 90's. Then, Dan Burke arrived in 1996, and between his presence and that of McGriff, the Pirates made the playoffs. A first-round exit followed, but the seeds had been planted. Palm Bay, in the midst of a population explosion, was about the join the ranks of the state's elite.

In the fall of 1997, the Florida Today regaled the county with tales of McGriff's Friday night exploits. As the Pirates rolled through the regular season, a state title appeared well within their grasp. Palm Bay claimed playoff victories over traditional powerhouses Vero Beach, Sarasota Riverview and Niceville. Everything was falling into place. Then, the buzzkill arrived in the form of a 41-7 loss against Lake City Columbia.

No matter, a championship would have to wait for Brevard County. But it was clear that McGriff was moving on to bigger and better things. Although he was a star running back at the high school level, with Earnest Graham also heading to Florida in as a part of the Class of 1998, McGriff likely would have started out his career as a strong safety in Gainesville. He had been timed as fast as 10.6 seconds in the 100 meters. McGriff also carried a 3.0 GPA. One national Top 100 list I came across had McGriff rated as the No. 30 prospect in the country for his senior class. He was listed ahead of such luminaries as eventual top overall NFL Draft pick Carson Palmer, Super Bowl champion Ryan Pickett and All-Pro Roy Williams (the safety, not the receiver), among others. Only Graham and Seffner Armwood offensive lineman Mike Pearson – both Parade All-Americans – were rated higher than McGriff among those who had signed with the Gators.

Brevard County has sent plenty of players to Florida State and Miami, along with other big-time colleges around the country over the years. However, it would be a mistake to label the area as anything other than Gator Country. And the Class of 1998 proved this in grand fashion. Three members of UF's 24-man recruiting class (which also included three transfers from other colleges) were from the Space Coast. Linebacker Marques Oquendo-Johnson (Rockledge) and tight end Aaron Walker (Astronaut) were highly-regarded players. But McGriff was the real prize, and the center-piece of the predictable pictures of all three wearing their respective high school jerseys as they appeared on the front of the Florida Today sports page, previewing their futures in Gainesville.

Then, "Senior Skip Day" happened.

On April 17, 1998, a number of students from Palm Bay High School threw on their swim trunks and headed out across the Indian River to Melbourne Beach. It's a scene that plays out every year at schools across Brevard County and around the country. It's a beautiful day, teenagers would rather be out playing in the waves and sand, so they mark a date on the calendar where they can get away from the classroom for an afternoon.

Rip tides were an issue at Melbourne Beach that particular week. Around 2 p.m., while horse-playing in the water with fellow classmates following a game of volleyball, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound McGriff and his girlfriend became caught in a current. Both struggled to get free. McGriff's significant other was able to swim her way out of the water and get back to shore. McGriff was dragged out into the ocean and perished. His body was recovered the next day.

McGriff's death had a major impact on the county. Today, a park in Palm Bay bears his name in honor of his contributions to the city. Gators fans mourned the loss of a player who was a natural-born leader, and likely would have had an immediate impact on a talent-laden squad that was in the National Championship hunt throughout the 1998 season. Who knows what he might have accomplished in Gainesville?

There's no real lesson to be learned with this story. McGriff's death was a tragic accident. It could have happened to just about anyone. But on that particular day, fate happened to intervene and take the life of a promising football player who had his entire future in front of him. It's just a reminder that sometimes, life simply isn't fair. In many ways, the shock and sadness of that day still resonate with many on the Space Coast.

If there is one silver lining to all of this, it's that McGriff's brilliance did establish a standard at the school for years to come. One upheld by Cohen, offensive lineman Mike Degory and defensive back Reggie Nelson, among others. The trio would take the baton from McGriff and lead the Pirates to a pair of state titles in the following decade. All three players also signed with the Gators, becoming major contributors for Florida – just as James McGriff likely would have been as well.