On Friday April 5, former East Limestone High School basketball player, Charles Holley, will deliver an impactful message to East Limestone middle schoolers. It will be a life-changing message about the tragic death of his 12-year-old son, but it will also be an emotional full circle moment.

Holley was part of the group of Black students who integrated East Limestone in the 1970s. He spent more than 10 years at East Limestone and played several years for the well-known coach Jimmy Drake. He graduated from East in 1983 and received scholarships to Snead State and UAH. He graduated from UAH as the first college graduate of his family. Throughout his college career, coach Jimmy Drake and others kept in touch with him.

Holley married and had two children, a boy named Torrell, and a girl named Kiana. In 2001, 12-year-old Torrell was finishing basketball tryouts at Liberty Middle School when he collapsed from cardiac arrest and died moments later. The autopsy concluded a rare heart defect called ARVD.

After Torrell’s death, Liberty school students and teachers became determined to never let Torrell’s life be forgotten. They banded together and created three major events that continue to honor Torrell today. The Torrell Holley Scholarship for James Clemens Seniors, The Torrell Holley Spirit Award for Liberty Middle Schoolers, and the annual PowderPuff football game played at Liberty to raise scholarship funds.

When Holley returns to East Limestone with an impactful message about his son, it will also be the first time he steps foot in the Jimmy Drake Gymnasium named after the legendary coach who was like a father to him.

“I’m going to be an emotional mess,” Holley said. “I’ll have many memories of the school I integrated into as a child. Also, the many feelings from walking into the gym named after the man who not only coached me but fathered me.”

On Friday April 5, East students will hear about the life of a 12-year-old. They will get to see and sign Torrell’s memorabilia that includes his actual sports jerseys, video games he loved to play and actual letters and drawings done by students at that time.

After Torrell’s death, Holley became an author and wrote his first book entitled, “When Flowers Fade.” He has since written several books including one award-winner and one about the life of Torrell entitled, “Angels Among Us: The Torrell Holley Story.” Holley is also an award-winning international speaker. He lives in Madison, Ala., with his wife, Cassandra.