NFL's Roger Goodell donates to family of slain Ga. high school football coach

ATLANTA — Roger Goodell was in Brazil when he learned about the shooting at Apalachee High School.

The NFL commissioner traveled abroad to attend Friday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. After hearing about the shooting, Goodell was pulled to read everything he could find about Ricky Aspinwall, a 39-year-old math teacher and the football team’s defensive coordinator who was one of four people killed.

Goodell and his wife Jane contributed $10,000 to the GoFundMe established for Aspinwall’s wife, Shayna, and their two young daughters. Almost $380,000 total had been raised as of Saturday at 1 p.m., with Goodell’s being the largest donation.

“As he learned more about Ricky and the tragedy and the hundreds of people he impacted as a teacher and a coach, the NFL family was thinking of them,” said Brian McCarthy, chief NFL spokesman.

The outpouring of support “has been humbling,” said Apalachee football coach Mike Hancock. Coaches from high school programs across the state, particularly from the northeast region where Apalachee is located, have remained in frequent contact with Hancock and his staff.

Jefferson High School, located roughly 25 miles from Apalachee, replaced the J with an A in the logo painted at midfield for Friday’s football game. North Oconee High, in nearby Bogart, wore helmet decals with an A inside of a heart.

“The stickers and the ribbons, it’s nice,” Hancock said. “It brings recognition. But behind the scenes, coaches are texting and calling, asking what I need and what they can do. It’s genuine. It’s real.”

Apalachee’s game Friday against Monroe Area was canceled. Players and assistants gathered Thursday at Bethlehem Church, about 5 miles from the high school.

“It was good to hug and cry together,” Hancock said.

Hundreds attended a vigil in Barrow County on Friday to mourn and grieve. Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, two math teachers at the high school, and Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, two 14-year-old students, were killed. Nine others were injured and some remain hospitalized.

Donation pages for victims can be found on GoFundMe.