The 14th Annual Wes Whiddon Memorial Golf Tournament will be played at Bent Creek Golf course on April 1 beginning at 9:30 a.m. to raise money for the Wesley Whiddon Scholarship Fund.
The Wesley Whiddon Scholarship Fund was created in 2008 in honor of the tragic passing of Fleming Island Golden Eagles middle linebacker Wes Whiddon. The foundation was created by the Orange Park Junior High athletic department and has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships for Clay County student-athletes to attend college.
The golf tournament will open registration from 8:15-9:15 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. The tournament will cover lunch and dinner and they will have a variety of contests and challenges as well as awards for teams who place in the tournament.
Whiddon played for the Golden Eagles from 2005-2008 and was the first player in Fleming Island High School history to start on the varsity football team as a freshman. Whiddon had a stellar junior season, recording 175 tackles and was selected to First-Team All-District, All-County and All-Conference, according to the Wes Whiddon Scholarship Fund website. Whiddon was also the first Golden Eagle football player to receive the award of a four-year varsity letterman. Whiddon was a five-foot-nine, 212-pound linebacker who could run a 4.45 40-yard dash and had a dream of playing college football.
“During one of the last conversations I had with my son, he told me that God put him on this Earth to play college football. He had the grades, the talent and more heart than any coach would ever want. Wesley would play at the next level, but was never given a chance,” said Whiddon’s mom Angie Whiddon in a quote on the Wes Whiddon Scholarship Fund website.
Whiddon and his friends were fishing on a railroad bridge over Black Creek when they noticed a CSX train coming. Instead of taking a 50-foot jump into the water below, Whiddon and his friends attempted to run to safety. Everyone made it to safety except Whiddon who was struck right before he jumped to safe ground.
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