The Navy football team paid tribute to fallen former player David Forney throughout last season. The Midshipmen wore a helmet decal that depicted Forney running onto the field before the Army-Navy game carrying the American flag.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo also decided not to issue Forney’s No. 68 jersey last season as a show of remembrance and respect. In one final symbolic tribute, senior offensive lineman Billy Honaker wore No. 68 during the Army-Navy game in honor of Forney.
Forney died Feb. 20, 2020, after being found unresponsive in his dormitory room at Bancroft Hall. The 22-year-old died of sudden cardiac arrest, the state medical examiner ruled after an autopsy.