ENMU Mourns the Loss of Greyhound Football Player

Date: 11/3/2003
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253

Tragedy visited the Eastern New Mexico University family once again on Sunday morning, Oct. 26, when Greyhound football player Eric Hodgest was killed in a car accident in Amarillo, Texas. News reports indicated th at Eric's car became disabled and was run into by another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Eric, along with three other ENMU students who have died since July – Amanda Tenorio, Rayla Parra and Roland "Rojo" Ellsworth, and Maj. Ronald Milam (who died
on 9-11 at The Pentagon) – were remembered at the Dia de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead) celebration on Friday in the Campus Union Ballroom.

Those who knew Eric said he had a great sense of humor, and was totally honest in expressing his opinion. ENMU football coach Bud Elliott remembered him as having
a lot of good friends on the team and being a "pretty good football player."

Most of us did not know Eric, but we wish we had. His life ended too soon, but his memory lives on in his friends. Their sharing of what he was like enriches us all.

The Eastern community grieves the loss of Eric and the other students, but will always be grateful that they chose to pass our way.

Eric Hodgest
( photo on left by Robert McKinney)