5th Annual Jack Elliott Character Award Goes to Wyatt Lucas

By: Kym Whitney

Corona del Mar High School held its 5th Annual Jack Elliott Character Award Ceremony on August 9, 2024. This prestigious award is presented to a senior on the Corona del Mar High School football team, who has the privilege of wearing the No. 2 jersey—Jack Elliott’s number when he played for the Sea Kings. The ceremony is always an emotional occasion, as it honors Jack’s memory after his life was tragically cut short in a boating accident. His spirit continues to inspire the Sea Kings’ football program.

"Amy, Ava, and I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Coach Hettig and his staff, Coach Griffin, Scott Brown, Joe Stapleton, and all of you who made today’s ceremony possible. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing love and support shown to our family and the Jack Elliott Character Award," shared Brett Elliott, Jack’s father.

"The letter that Jack wrote to himself…entitled The Wise Boy…is engraved on the JECA plaque in he locker room. We want to make sure the story behind that letter is never lost…now after nearly five years, most… if not all of you players and your families didn’t have the honor of knowing Jack. The Wise Boy letter encapsulates our son. We found the letter in Jack’s desk drawer just a few weeks after he left for his freshman year at TCU. We’ll never know why he wrote it— but he left this gift behind for all of us.”

A big congratulations to Wyatt Lucas, the 2024 honoree of the Jack Elliott Character Award. Wyatt embodies the values of character, integrity, and sportsmanship that the JECA awarded embodies. He now joins a distinguished group of young men who honor Jack’s legacy by wearing the No. 2 jersey during their senior football season.