“This hurts,” Troy Davis, former Southridge and Iowa State running back, said after he got to know about his dear pal, Lamont Green Sr’s death. “It’s more like losing a brother. We grew up together, played for the Palmetto Raiders (youth football) and then stuck together at Southridge.” Green, who was a 6’3” and 230-pound linebacker at that time, would run 40 years in 4.6 seconds, and it was his elite speed that led Southridge to state championships in 1991 and 1993.

Later, he signed with Florida State, and leaving high school, he ranked ahead of names like quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Orlando Pace, and running back Fred Taylor. While his career didn’t quite flourish like it did in high school, he had a strong college career under then-coach Bobby Bowden at FSU. And in the 1999 NFL Draft, he ranked fourth among outside linebackers but went undrafted until he got the opportunity to play one game for the Falcons as a backup. Nothing as remarkable as his high school and college career.

“That 1993 team he played on was named Florida’s Team of the Decade,” Southridge coach Don Soldinger said when he learned about Green’s death. “He was a special cat.” In fact, Green was Soldinger’s only player to start as a freshman and also continue through the senior year. But tragedy struck right before Green’s junior year as his home got destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. “He stayed at my townhouse after that… We were tight,” Soldinger said while also revealing that Green had a tough childhood. His mother dealt with kidney disease, and his father had passed away when he was merely in the ninth grade. The loss of his father at such a young age prompted him to be actively involved with children. He even inspired his son, Lamont Green Jr., to commit to FSU and take his legacy forward.

Just hours ago, Lamont Green Jr. took to Instagram to talk about his father and how he was an inspiration. “To the man who showed me what it means to be a man, and gave me a family of women to look over after you left, I love you. As your only son your legacy has always been my priority and now I have to see that through without you by my side. Everything I’ve ever done is to make you proud and I will continue attempting to do that because I know it’s what you’d want. No words will ever be enough to describe how I feel, but I love you pops. #forever45.”

Post his football career, Green spent time coaching in Dade County, but in recent years, he focused on mentoring his son.

The cause of death has not been revealed, but as per Troy Davis, 49, the same age as Green Sr., he was visiting the hospital frequently. “Lamont told me he had been in and out of the hospital. He never told me what the problem was, but I know he had been losing weight.”

During his short school career, he had recorded 135 tackles, including 13 for losses, as a senior. In fact, there was one game when Green returned an interception for a touchdown in a state semifinal over Vero Beach. That led to a 41-26 state victory, and so, Green was named a Parade All-American, USA Today’s National Defensive Player of the Year, and also the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida. But it doesn’t stop there.

He was once invited to the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club, where he spent time with Archie Manning and his son Peyton. And that evening, Lamont Green won the Player of the Year award. Over Manning.

FSU rallies around Lamont Green Jr.

The silence left behind by Lamont Green Sr.’s passing is still echoing through Tallahassee, but if there’s one thing Florida State has always done right, it’s taking care of its own. And now, in the wake of this loss, the Seminole brotherhood is standing tall behind freshman Lamont Green Jr., the young man now shouldering both the family legacy and unimaginable grief.

Prayers, love, and locker room loyalty came flooding in under an emotional social media post that Green Jr. made in memory of his father. FSU veterans, alumni, and recent recruits alike didn’t hold back. “Love you bubba I’m praying for you,” wrote 2024 graduate DB Jaden Floyd, showing just how tight this brotherhood runs. Redshirt junior WR and current starter Ja’Khi Douglas added, “Prayers.” Fellow DB and rising star Edwin Joseph mentioned, “Love Myboy Keep Your Head High.”

Even outside the FSU bubble, the support stayed loud. Former school’s FIU QB Keyone Jenkins, also Green Jr.’s teammate from Gulliver Prep, chimed in with, “head up my boi.” The game may be violent, but the love in this Seminole family is intact.

Even fans came up to pay a heartfelt tribute to the man. For instance, one said, “What!!! He was just cheering on his son on Social media 😢..man life is so short and tomorrow not promised..RIP repent and get a relationship with Christ.”

Rest in Peace, Mr. Green Sr.!