NFF Gold Medal Recipients
Biography
Those who knew him loved him. Those who knew him were not surprised to learn he died protecting students.
Aaron Feis was one of 17 people killed on Feb. 14, 2018, during a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Witnesses said the death toll at the high school would have been even higher had it not been for Feis, who selflessly draped himself over students to act as a human shield when gun fire broke out.
"He is a protector, a coach and an educator" who would do anything to protect kids, Feis' sister Johanna Mahaffey told NBC News.
Hailed a hero, and rightfully so, Feis' selflessness and sacrifice that day was just part of his character, according to friends and former players. The late Feis was a fixture at Stoneman Douglas High School, including his days as a student playing center on the Eagles football team and graduating in 1999. He returned to the school in 2002 to serve as a security guard and assistant football coach.
He worked tirelessly to help students at Stoneman Douglas succeed both on the field and in life. Former student Brandon Corona told the Associated Press, "[Feis was] a counselor to those who had no father figure. … His time was infinite when it came to students and athletes."
One of Feis' biggest passions was helping his players in their efforts to find colleges where they could continue playing football while earning their educations. He made it a point to know college recruiters, all of whom had nothing but good things to say about Feis. He took his kids to football camps and talked them up at college fairs. He helped make highlight reels for players, even assisting students that attended other high schools.
Former Miramar High School (Florida) head football coach and current University of South Florida defensive ends coach Damon Cogdell talked to ESPN's Andrea Adelson in February.
"He always wanted to give back to his high school," Cogdell said. "He wanted to give back to that community. A security guard doesn't make that much money, but it wasn't about money for him.… It's like a dream come true to go to your alma mater and have an impact."
More than 1,000 people attended Feis' funeral in February — an indicator of just how many lives the 37-year-old had affected. At the 2018 ESPYs, ESPN awarded the Best Coach Award posthumously to Feis and two other Stoneman Douglas coaches, Scott Beigel (cross country) and Chris Hixon (wrestling, athletics director), who were also killed in the shooting.
Feis' legacy will live on through the players and students he impacted and through his wife Melissa and their young daughter. Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget has launched the Coach Aaron Feis Scholarship, which will honor the Stoneman Douglas football player who best represents the legacy of Coach Feis. Despite never meeting Feis, Liuget, who attended Hialeah High School outside Miami, kicked off funding for the scholarship by donating $10,000.
A guardian program named after Feis has been launched, training armed guards who will patrol every elementary school in Florida with the goal of preventing future shootings. Feis' wife, Melissa, told ABC Action News in Tampa Bay that her husband loved the kids at his school and would be thrilled to see this program take shape.
In September, the Stoneman Douglas football team took the field for its first regular-season home game since the tragedy and defeated South Broward High, 23-6. In October, the school retired Feis' No. 73 jersey as part of a ceremony honoring all 17 people who lost their lives.
"He was Douglas football," Stoneman Douglas head coach Willis May told the Sun-Sentinel. "He's been here a long time. He played here, he coached here. He loved Douglas football and everybody knew he loved Douglas football.
"He had nothing but the concern of the kids at all times, trying to make them better people, give them a chance to have a good life. And he changed a lot of lives while he was here."
