Ben Wilson video...

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, A YOUNG MAN DESTINED FOR GREATNESS
DID YOU EVER SEE THE MOVIE, CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME,
WELL THIS WASN'T A MOVIE, THIS WAS REAL LIFE, BEN WILSON WOULD HAVE MADE IT ALL THE WAY, HE ATTENDED
MARTHA RUGGLES, HE WAS THE TRUTH AND HE WILL NEVER BE
FORGOTTEN!
THE DAY HE DIED, EVERY BALL IN THE CITY STOPPED BOUNCING!
THAT'S WHY WHEN I SEE SOME OF HIS FORMER TEAMMATES
IT IS A GREAT FEELING, I SEE BEN IN THEM, JUST THINK
HOW THEY FELT THAT DAY!
MAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
THIS IS WHY NICK ANDERSON WORE NUMBER 25 THE REST OF
HIS LIFE!
BEN WILSON WOULD BE SO PROUD OF THE NEW SIMEON HIGH
SCHOOL!
MAY GOD BLESS THE WILSON FAMILY, MR. MCCRAY, REV.
JACKSON, OPRAH WINFREY, HAROLD WASHINGTON, COACH
BOB HAMBRICK, THE SIMEON HIGH SCHOOL FAMILY AND ALL
THE YOUNG MEN WHO PLAYED WITH BEN WILSON!

this tragedy was felt statewide,i lived in springfield at the time,and i will never forget where i was and what i was doing when i heard the news.the very next year simeon lost to ed horton and springfield lanphier in the quarterfinals.i remember meeting mary wilson at the game,it was a humbling experience.

I never got to see Ben Wilson play but I felt the shock and the sting of death after hearing about the senseless killing of the high school star destine for greatness. Ben's mother and father may you rest your faith in God's hands of understanding.

I was in school the day that this tragic incident happened and they announced it over the intercom. I was a freshmen but I felt the same pain that all the upper classmen felt because through my parents I followed the team to the state championship and other games before that day. I went home and cried that day when I told my mom what happened and when I woke up the next morning and heard the bad news I was in a state of shock. When I got to school that day there was total silence until I reached the cafeteria and I almost broke down when I entered because everyone in there was grieving for him. Ben was a very loved person and trust me he will be remembered forever.

I never saw him play until much later and I really didn't even know who he was until right before his tragic death. And even though I was only 11 I remember feeling a tremendous amount of loss. I felt and still feel that the world really loss someone special, not just an incredible talent but a unifying force that people all over could appreciate. I find myself every so often searching the web for stories on Ben and that is what brings me here this morning. Its hard to believe that it has been almost 25 years, Ben you are still loved, missed, and will be remembered forever. God bless

I never saw him play until my best friend came to my house with a DVD of the state championship game. I always heard the story about his life growing up. I also understood why everyone wore 25 at simeon. I played basketball at a rival school and when we played Simeon at home I always changed my number to 25 in his honor. He paved the way for guys like Bobby Simmons, Brian Notre, Piere Green, Nick Anderson, Cameron Echols and Derrick Rose.

Affectionately known as B.J. Ben Wilson was a true late bloomer. Ben and I are the exact same age. We started high school the same year. Ben grew from 6'0 to 6'5 the summer between freshman and sophomre years. He worked so hard to become great.I remember B.J. returning from the Nike All-American camp summer of '84, he told me Danny Ferry was overrated and what he did to Lowell Hamilton was Ben at his best. I miss going to parties and hanging out!!!!! He had striaght disco moves on the dance floor and was extremely popular with ladies. Very coordinated to still be growing soooooo fast. Ask Micheal Jordan his memories of B.J.

God Bless u ALL!!!!!
All is truly well!!!!!
Lil Fred from Foster Park!!!!!

I did not know about Ben until I came to Springfield in the early 90's. All I can say is THE TRUTH

I remember in 1984, going to Providence St. Mel on the
westside of chicago and being friends with Lowell Hamilton. My brother (Terry Sampson)who played with Benji, kept telling me that he'S the best in high school. Boy! He was ever so True!! Ben Wilson is the Best I have ever seen in chicago--despite zeke, mark, cummings,
hersey, anderson, winters,liberty, dildy, hardaway. I miss him just being alive---God's child. ADRIAN--I miss
u dearly my brother!!!.

I remember in 1984, going to Providence St. Mel on the
westside of chicago and being friends with Lowell Hamilton. My brother (Terry Sampson)who played with Benji, kept telling me that he'S the best in high school. Boy! He was ever so True!! Ben Wilson is the Best I have ever seen in chicago--despite zeke, mark, cummings,
hersey, anderson, winters,liberty, dildy, hardaway. I miss him just being alive---God's child. ADRIAN--I miss
u dearly my brother!!!. P.s--the struggle continues, to end a inane genocide!!

I remember hearing of Ben Wilson's death as a 14 year old one morning on the Today show before school. I grew up in Alabama, so I never heard of him before that, but his death stuck with me from that day until now. Wow, what a loss.

For those of you that didn"t get a chance to see Ben play i am so sorry, but if you need to know what his game was like just think of Magic Johnson and Kevin Garnett as one player. Scarey right?