Boston College junior cornerback DeLeon Gause will honor the memory of slain UConn cornerback Jasper Howard in this weekend's game against Notre Dame by wearing the No. 6 instead of his traditional No. 9.
Gause, who grew up in Miami, played against Howard in high school and later developed a friendship with him. He was shocked and saddened by the news that the Huskies star had been stabbed to death early Sunday morning following a campus dance.
"We played against each other in high school and at the Kickoff Classic," Gause said. "All I remember is that he was talking about me before the game. He kept saying, 'Tell [Gause] that it's going to be a big game.' And he came out there to play. We kept going back and forth."
Gause decided to follow the lead of the UConn community and display his support for his old friend when he takes the field in South Bend on Saturday.
"I talked with another guy who played with [Howard], a cornerback at Clemson, Chris Chancellor," Gause said. "It was on his heart to wear [No. 6] and I thought of anything that I could do. I felt like I had to do something."
Eagles running back Jeff Smith will also wear his traditional No. 6 for Saturday's game.
