Former Saguaro football player Jelani Newman dies in motorcyle crash
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Former Scottsdale Saguaro High School offensive lineman Jelani Newman, who later played at San Jose State, was killed in a Sept. 12 motorcycle accident
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The San Francisco Chronicle was among several outlets reporting Newman's death. He was 25.
Details on the crash were not immediately available.
He starred on Saguaro's 2018 4A state championship football team before going on to play at San Jose State, where he graduated.
He played at San Jose State from 2019 to 2022. The Spartans honored him with a social media post showing him in his No. 72 jersey.
Mark Martinez, who was Newman's offensive line coach at Saguaro, said he remained close with Newman since his high school years and considered him a son. They would go fishing together.
He said that Newman, who was 6-foot-3 and close to 300 pounds in college, had aspirations of joining the military. He said Newman had dropped his weight to 230.
Newman was a big part of Saguaro's 13-1 2018 team his senior year, when he made first-team all-region.
"He was a great young man with a kind heart," said Martinez, who is now the offensive line coach at Phoenix Brophy Prep. "He exemplified everything you want in a son. I don't have any sons. I have daughters. And he was one of mine. What I mean by that, where my family went, he was there. He'd go to the movies with us all the time. He'd eat with us all the time. He was such a kind-hearted individual."
Nancy McGee Newman, Jelani's grandmother, wrote about him on her Facebook page on Sept. 18 and the significance of him wearing jersey number 72.
"As a family we are beyond devastated," she wrote. "Jelani was in football from youth football to college ball. The number 72 was on every jersey that he wore. It represented his sister Qui’Aunna and Jelani's birth months. Jelani was a giving, loving young man that only wanted to help others.
"As a donor he will help many, which would make him happy. Jelani had taken the oath to join the Army following in the footsteps of his Papa Newman in infantry/airborne. The recruiters loved him and felt he was a superior recruit. He loved doing the PT drills with the other recruits. Jelani’s smile and laughter were electric. There is now a huge hole in our family and even more so for Chelsea and Qui’Aunna."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral and burial expenses.
"Jelani was smart, kind, funny, brave, and ambitious, and those who knew him will remember the warmth, strength, and bright spirit he brought into their lives," Domenica Civitano wrote on the fundraiser page that he created. "He was the kind of person who could make people laugh, show up with compassion, and leave a lasting impression through both his character and determination. This heartbreaking loss has left Jelani’s family facing deep grief while also trying to navigate the painful responsibilities that come with saying goodbye."
Funeral services are pending.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Saguaro football player Jelani Newman dies in motorcyle crash