A candlelight vigil will be held Thursday night at Cuyahoga Heights High School in honor of fallen Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin.
The vigil is set to start at 7:30 p.m. and is being organized by the school's cheerleading advisory.
Derbin graduated from Cuyahoga Heights High School in 2018
During all four years of high school, Derbin was a member of the Cuyahoga Heights football and track and field teams. Coaches and teammates referred to him by his nickname “Jake.”
Al Martin is the head football coach who coached Derbin.
“Jake was always one who was easy to coach because he always came in with a good attitude,” Martin said. “People loved to be around them, and he just gave the whole team and the coaching staff a lot of energy on a daily basis."
Debin’s spirit drove the football team. Martin remembers the offensive lineman, No. 65, as a hard worker.
RELATED: Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin was 'gentle giant' who 'loved public service'
“He was part of a group that helped us get to the state finals two years in a row back in his junior and senior year, and he was really a key piece of those teams,” Martin said.
“Did it surprise you that he chose a career in law enforcement?” News 5’s Damon Maloney asked Martin.
“No. I mean he's got family members who are in that line of work, and he's always someone who was above service and giving back," Martin said. “He always wanted to be a police officer.”
John Shafer was Derbin’s football and track and field coach. Derbin competed in shot put and discus.
"He followed his passion and his dream and we were proud of him for it,” Shafer said.
He recalled Derbin being the number two thrower on the team but knew him beyond the classroom and sports.
“I know him as Wookie. He was a big Star Wars fan and all of his buddies used to always call him Wookie,” said Shafer.
Shafer said his oldest son and Derbin were good friends and graduated together. He said former teammates have been gathering with each other for support following Derbin’s death.
“I know that most of yesterday they were getting together and celebrating Wookie and crying and grieving together and leaning on each other to get through this senseless act,” Shafer said.
Martin said he's comforted knowing the school community has each other's backs during this difficult time.
“It's really hard to process at this point. I'm having a difficult time. You know, it's like, they're like your kids. You know, you never expect any of them to go at that that early of an age and it's still really difficult right now to process everything that's happened,” Martin said.
Martin and Shafer said memories will allow them to smile as tough days come and go. Around the school, there are visual reminders of the kid they were so proud of, including a photograph Derbin took of his high school football field during a helicopter ride with his grandpa that was won in a raffle. The picture hangs on the wall of the school district’s superintendent's office. Derbin’s signature is on the back of the photo. Martin and Shafer also have copies of it as well.
Shafer said he was looking forward to attending Derbin’s wedding this summer and being able to joke with him about how he met the love of his life. It’s said to have happened during that senior year trip to the football state finals.
“And the rumor was that he got her number after the game. And I remember always chuckling… going ‘Boy, that's going to be a good one to talk about at the wedding’ and tragically it's not going to happen,” Shafer said.
