Falcons host team from Apalachee High School, site of shooting

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons hosted the football team from Apalachee High School a week after a shooting left two students and two teachers dead.

The high school players watched practice Friday from the sideline at the Falcons’ training complex.

“I think it’s incredible that you get a chance to see some young kids going through some tough stuff,” said Jerry Gray, the Falcons’ assistant head coach for defense. “I always look and say, ‘Man, what are they going through?’ They’ve got to go back to the school where it happened.”

Among the victims of the Sept. 4 shooting rampage was a teacher who served as an assistant coach for the Apalachee football team. Nine others were injured. Funerals for two of the victims were being held Saturday. A 14-year-old student has been charged with murder, and his father also faces charges for allegedly furnishing his son with a weapon.

During the shooting, some students scrambled for shelter in the high school’s football stadium. Apalachee is located in Winder, which is about 20 miles from the Falcons’ complex in the sprawling Atlanta suburbs.

“When you get a little relief and you get a chance to kind of love on them a little bit, I think that’s special for our guys,” Gray said. “We’re NFL guys, but we still understand what caring means.”

Before their season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Falcons coaches and players wore Apalachee T-shirts during pregame warmups. A moment of silence was held before kickoff.

“It definitely meant a lot,” said Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett, who grew up in suburban Atlanta. “I played Apalachee when I was in high school.”

The Falcons travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles (1-0) on Monday night.