PHILADELPHIA - Before the game, Jeff Deliz grabbed his cell phone and starting punching buttons. He sent a text message to his good friend that read, "This one's for you."
Deliz, a senior defensive back for Navy, turned off his phone and wrapped tape tightly around both wrists. With a black marker, he scribbled "18" - Rashawn King's number - on each.
Then he took the field at Lincoln Financial Field and helped his team deliver one of the biggest beatings in one of the nation's best rivalries. Navy topped Army, 34-0, in the 109th meeting between the military academies, a game that seemed to have it all.
The only thing missing, in fact, was Rashawn King and his father, Drexel.
The Midshipmen's bus pulled into town Thursday night. At the hotel, King was immediately told to call his mother back home in Raleigh, N.C. Two days before Army-Navy, the game father and son had been looking forward to all season, Drexel King had died of an apparent heart attack. He was just 48.
Engulfed in emotion, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo still managed to put it into proper perspective yesterday, noting that Drexel's "passing was more than just a parent of a player."
"Drexel King was a father figure to many players on our team," Niumatalolo said.
Truth is, Drexel counted many of the Mids as his own. He attended games at home and on the road. He threw tailgate parties after games, feeding his son and his teammates. After the senior game last month, he took a giant group of players to a nice celebratory meal in Annapolis.
"It was like he was a second father almost," Deliz said. "Like he'd known you forever. Every time I saw him, it was a big hug, handshake. No matter how well I played or how bad I played, he always encouraged me."
Deliz is closer to King than most. Both seniors, both defensive backs. Next year, Deliz is slated to be a Navy pilot and King is headed for the Marine Corps.
The two have been rooming together on the road since they were freshmen. Because their numbers are sequential -- 17 and 18 -- they've shared neighboring lockers since then, too. On Thursday night, Deliz didn't know why King didn't come straight to the hotel room. When King finally arrived an hour later, Deliz started teasing his friend about his tardiness. He noticed right away that something was wrong.
He was told about Drexel, and it took a few minutes to find the words. "I almost felt like a part of me was lost, too," Deliz said.
