THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WCTV) – A celebration of life was held Saturday for Deontavis Jamario Cooper, the 17-year-old killed in a crash the night he graduated from Thomas County Central High School.

There were no empty seats in the Thomas County Schools auditorium on Saturday. The overflow area was also standing-room only, as hundreds of people came to show their support.

Several people in attendance were dressed in jerseys with the number 77 to pay respect to Cooper, better known as Big Coop. Others wore buttons featuring his photo, while others wore the school colors of navy and gold.

There were plenty of laughs during the ceremony as people reflected on Cooper’s big smile and bright spirit, often making everyone else laugh.

Thomas County Central Head Football Coach Justin Rogers was among those to share how Cooper touched his life and the lives of his teammates.

“You left us far too soon,” Rogers said. “But, your impact on this school, and this community, and everyone who knew him will never be forgotten.”

Coach Rogers also encouraged the younger students to reflect on their own lives.

“A lot of you will get the opportunities that Coop never got. You’ll live out dreams that are still ahead of you. Don’t take any of it for granted,” he said. “Coop never got the chance to step out onto that college field. He never got the chance to be the husband, the leader, and the man that we all know he would’ve been.”

During his reflection, Rogers encouraged students to honor Cooper by showing love to the people around them. “And when you have to make a difficult decision, make the decision that would make Big Coop proud.”

Cooper signed to play football with Tulane University and was supposed to get on the road to Louisiana the morning after the crash.

Tulane’s offensive line coach, Kanan Ray, attended and spoke on how quickly he was drawn to Cooper’s personality. “He was loved by everybody in this room and he knew he made everybody proud,” Ray said.

Thomas County Central Offensive Line Coach Jimmy Dudley reflected on his morning car rides with Cooper. “We had about eight to 10 minutes to talk, and usually not about football,” he said. “He talked about how his mama and his sister had done everything for him, and how appreciative he was for the life they provided.”

Cooper was known to family members as Mario.

“Mario was loved by so many, and the lives he touched will be remembered in the stories we tell,” Dudley said.

Right outside the auditorium doors were two jerseys and helmets. They both had the number 77 and the name Cooper on the back - one for Tulane and the other for the Yellow Jackets.

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