Buhach Colony honors Pickard with special jersey

Honor. Courage. Sacrifice.

Fittingly, those are the three words printed on the back of the new camouflage Buhach Colony No. 50 jersey to honor former Thunder football player and Marine Cpl. Joshua Pickard.

The jersey will be worn by a different deserving player each week in practice from Monday through Friday.

It was the idea of Buhach Colony coach Kevin Navarra. The jersey, which was designed by Keith Ducey, who is a friend of the football program, serves two purposes: to motivate current players and to honor Pickard.

Pickard graduated from Buhach Colony in 2004. He was killed in combat in Iraq in 2006.

“What I remember about Josh was his passion for the game,” Navarra said. “He brought so much energy to the program. He had a great motor. There’s probably not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Josh. I’m not a relative and I only coached him two years.”

Navarra still has the red, white and blue ribbon from Pickard’s funeral. He’s hung it in every vehicle he’s owned since Pickard’s death.

Pickard’s No. 50 jersey was retired by the school in 2006 and it hangs in the gym.

Navarra got the idea for creating the practice jersey from a similar tribute Arizona State does for Pat Tillman. Navarra hopes the Pickard jersey becomes another Thunder football tradition along with the sledgehammer. The players pick a deserving player to carry the sledgehammer to the field before games on Friday nights. The coaches select the game ball to hand out to a player after a game.

The Pickard jersey selection will ultimately be Navarra’s decision.

“When I played at Atwater, we had the Falcon of the Week,” Navarra said. “That honor used to drive me. There was a little write-up for that player in the Atwater Signal. With this, we’ll probably take a picture of our player of the week with the jersey and post it on our website.

“The jersey will be given to someone who stands out in practice. Not everyone gets a chance to shine in games on Friday night, but everyone is given the opportunity to shine in practice.”

Buhach Colony principal Steve Hobbs loves the idea.

“I think it’s awesome,” Hobbs said. “It’s a tribute to a Buhach Colony alumnus who stood for everything we expect from our students. From everyone who talks about Josh, he was a guy who fought for his country and did everything right.”

Hobbs was with Merced High football coach Rob Scheidt, who is Pickard’s uncle, when Scheidt got the news about Pickard’s death.

“It hit me personally because I know the family,” Hobbs said. “To find out what type of person Josh was, I think this is a great tribute.”

Navarra said coaches make sure incoming players learn why Pickard’s jersey hangs in the gym. This new jersey will add to Pickard’s legacy.

“Year after year, we want to make sure our kids are familiar with his story,” Navarra said. “It also ties into what we’re asking from our kids with THOR, which is not only our mascot but for us stands for ‘Toughness, Heart, Ownership and Respect.’ Some of our kids who don’t know Josh’s story will after this, and I think year in and year out the jersey will have more meaning.”

This story was originally published June 4, 2015 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Buhach Colony honors Pickard with special jersey."