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Thousands show up at Lely High School to honor the life of Ereck Plancher Watch »

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3,000 people.

3,000 people came to celebrate and say goodbye to a 19-year-old.

Obviously Ereck Plancher was wise beyond his years.

The huge crowd filled the Lely High Auditorium, its cafeteria and seven classrooms on Saturday to remember Plancher who died following football conditioning drills at the University of Central Florida on March 18.

By the time of the memorial service the local and national media had written, televised and placed on Web sites, pieces about Plancher and his life more than 500 times.

The list was long of those who strode to the podium, above Plancher’s casket, to testify to his special qualities, as a person, family member, student and football player.

The reality, of the casket being in front of the mourners in the auditorium and those who watched on televisions in other rooms, hit home.

Former Lely football coach Chris Metzger reminded everyone of Plancher’s persona.

“Great day to be a Trojan,” Metzger said Plancher would tell him, and often.

In an emotional moment, one of too many to count, Metzger turned to Plancher’s parents, Enoch and Giselle.

“You did it the right way, you need to write a book on parenting,” he told them.

Plancher’s passing brought the Lely community together, along with the UCF football team and staff who remembered his qualities as a football player and a young man.

Plancher’s UCF jersey, No. 28, will be part of a permanent memorial that will be in Nation’s Square, in the center of the Lely courtyard. UCF coach George O’Leary gave Lely Principal Ken Fairbanks the jersey and another jersey and a football helmet to Plancher’s brother, 10-year-old Edwin.

The UCF football team will wear some type of remembrance of Plancher, on its helmets or its jerseys, but O’Leary offered a more grand remembrance.

“You want to honor Ereck Plancher, act like him, that is the best you can do,” he said.

Fairbanks raised a sign, Plancher’s Place, that will be placed in the walkway to the football field.

Two $500 scholarships in his name will go to two seniors this year and for years to come.

Fairbanks first said that the school planned to give out the scholarships for at least 10 years. The scholarship fund already totals more than $10,000, with half coming from a fundraiser at Stan’s Idle Hour in Goodland from many people who didn’t know Plancher, but wanted to help after learning about him from Lely students that day.

Plancher’s Lely football jersey, No. 5, is not being retired. It, too, will become a symbol of his character.

Plancher’s friend, Fortin Faustin, wore the jersey with great honor in 2007. Like Plancher he was a star, leading the county in rushing and total yards.

“Everything you heard today was positive,” Fortin said of his friend. “As a player and a person he was my role model, I looked up to him. He gave 110 percent and never let down. He helped me become a better person and remains my role model.”

The football coaches decided that Plancher would best be served by not retiring the number, but having a special person of Plancher’s qualities wear it each year.

Junior Jeff Charelus, Plancher’s cousin, had offered to wear the jersey in remembrance of Plancher before the coaches decided to keep the number alive.

Charelus, who caught 23 passes and scored four touchdowns in 2007, hopes he is chosen.

“I know it is a lot of responsibility in wearing his number,” Charelus said. “He was a great person and did a lot here. I want to be that kind of person.”

Marco’s Mike O’Regan, the team’s quarterback, said, “I was glad to see everyone come out to give their support today. As a player and an individual he was the best I’ve ever known.”

Field goal kicker Habentz Attilus, who played with Plancher in their senior years in 2006, agreed.

“He was a good friend and you could always count on him at any time,” he said. “In football you knew that with the clock running down in the fourth quarter he would make something happen. If he was mad at you he’d let you know, then everything would be good again. Everyone always wanted to be around him.”

Rolf Bathold, a childhood friend and football teammate, said, “It is important for everyone to be here, to understand how Ereck lived the good life. I try to live my life through him for what he gave me. When I’m down I tell myself I’m doing it for him. That motivates me to do better.”

Marco’s Marty Krauss, a defensive lineman, was moved by the memorial service.

“It was just incredible how many people came to show their support and respect,” he said. “It was great for the family to get closure. The coaches who came back, and those here, came to show their respect, which Ereck deserved. He worked hard to make their program work.”

And work it did.

In 2006 Lely reached new heights, knocking off perennial powerhouse Naples. The 21-14 victory put Lely into the playoffs for the first time in years and put Naples on the sidelines.

Plancher, Culmer St. Jean and Rolf Bathold were the leaders who made it happen, who put Lely back on the football map.

“It was a sweet time for us,” Bathold said.

St. Jean smiled as he recalled how the three of them started out in their early football days.

“The three of us played together since Pop Warner,” he said. “When we came to Lely players were trying to go to other schools, Naples and Golden Gate, because Lely was at the bottom. We dreamed about playing at the high level we did.

“We beat Naples, beat Barron Collier, all our dreams came true.”