Brotherly Love: Gators' Joey and Andrew Ivie to Honor Late Sister at HS Graduation
Friday, May 29, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
“Don't give up. Focus on the positives and be kind always. Seek out the most in every precious, beautiful day you are given.” -- Senior yearbook message of Jordan Abigail Ivie, Pasco High School (Class of 2015)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Those first few days were the most painful. None have been easy. Others tell him time will help heal, but that time seems so far away from now.
Still, as Joey Ivie attempted to come to grasp with the death of his sister, 17-year-old Jordan Ivie, the only girl among the five Ivie siblings, his eyes opened to how much of an impact Jordan made in her short life.
At Jordan's recent memorial service, hundreds turned out to remember the cheerful blond who loved pink socks, pink shoes, pink skirts and anything else pink. She seemed to know everybody in Dade City, the small Pasco County town about an hour north of Tampa where the Ivies call home.
“She was just really liked around the community,'' Joey said. “Everyone who met her liked her.”
In those first days after her death, Joey was in awe of his little sister as visitors stopped by the house to offer condolences and share stories. Some dropped off letters of remembrance.
Joey knew Jordan was a caring sister, a trusted friend, but after two years at UF, he wasn't around her daily to see her start to blossom into a young woman making plans to one day become a kindergarten teacher.
The visitors introduced him to a more grown up Jordan.
“She was just that girl who would be there for the kids that struggled in their home life,'' Joey said. “When I was home, there were four of five girls who stopped by the house and told my parents how Jordan talked them through not committing suicide.
“It kind of made me almost look up to her and realize how great of a sister I had.”
When Joey received word five weeks ago today (April 24) that Jordan was involved in a serious automobile accident near their house and was in a coma, he immediately left for home.
A junior defensive lineman for the Gators, Joey gathered with his family at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa and prayed. Joe Ivie, Joey's father, is a chaplain who has shared his strong religious faith with his kids.
Jordan took her father's guidance to heart, something Joey experienced in those first days after Jordan was pronounced dead on April 26 from a head injury. Surgeons removed a portion of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain, but Jordan never woke up.
“We all prayed and hoped she could make it,'' Joey said. “That's the hardest thing, walking into a room and seeing her heart not beating, her not breathing, and seeing how my parents looked. There is no explanation for how that feels.”
Jordan's boyfriend, 16-year-old Austin Council, was the driver of the car. He suffered a broken arm when the car veered off the road and struck a patch of trees. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, both teens were wearing seat belts and alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
Andrew Ivie, Joey's younger brother and a 2015 Gators signee, was perhaps the closest Ivie sibling to Jordan.
A year older than Jordan, they both were seniors at Pasco High this year. Jordan skipped a grade when she was younger. They shared a science class and lunch together. And a lot of laughs.
“It's been a tough month,'' Andrew said Thursday night. “At school it's hard. I had a couple of classes with her and I couldn't be in that classroom.”
Andrew graduates tonight. So does Jordan.
Joey is going to accept her diploma at Pasco High's graduation ceremony at W.F. Edwards Stadium, the place where Joey and Andrew starred on Friday nights for the Pirates to garner interest from college recruiters.
Joe and Jennifer Ivie, and their youngest sons Abraham and Abel, will be there to support Andrew and Joey.
And to remember Jordan.
On Wednesday an emotional Joey said it's one of the most important things he will probably ever do.
“I might speak. I don't know yet,'' he said. “I don't know if I can handle it. It's hard dealing with the loss of a loved one. Everyone in my family is grieving in their own way. I think the best thing we can do is honor her the best way we can.”
Amidst the heartache, Joey has been back at UF participating in summer workouts. He is thankful for the support he has received from coaches and teammates.
After the news broke of Jordan's death, he received calls from former Gators head coach Will Muschamp, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin and defensive line coach Brad Lawing.
First-year Gators head coach Jim McElwain has allowed Ivie to go home regularly and take his time returning to football. Defensive line coach Chris Rumph and defensive coordinator Geoff Collins have checked in regularly with Ivie to see how he is coping.
“This stuff here is real life,'' Rumph said. “This is what it's all about, teaching guys about adversity and just being there for them and letting them know that, 'hey, I'm more than just that guy that is yelling and screaming and all that stuff. I truly care about you and your family.' We are here for them and to support them as they go through a difficult time.”
Andrew is scheduled to join the Gators later this summer and begin his college career. A two-way player at Pasco High, Andrew signed as a defensive lineman.
Joey said his younger brother is motivated to make his own mark for the Gators, driven even more than before to honor Jordan's memory.
Today is going to be difficult for the Ivie brothers. They understand that. But Jordan would be proud, the same way they are of her.
“She was a great sister, always forgiving, really compassionate,'' Joey said. “I've got to do this for not just me, but my sister. Everything I do I want to do for her. I hope I can have a good season and a good career here and pursue my dream of playing at the next level and do that by honoring her as much as I can in the way I live my life.
“I know I probably don't live my life the way she did, but there are ways that I want to change my life to be more like how she was.”
