ROCKAWAY BEACH — The former coach of a star football player who died in May's Amtrak crash is hoping to raise money to honor him with a memorial on the team's field.
Justin Zemser, 20, was one of seven passengers killed when the Amtrak train he was riding back to New York derailed outside Philadelphia on May 12.
He was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and valedictorian of his class at Channel View School for Research in Rockaway Park, where he was also a wide receiver and co-captain of the school's football team. He graduated in 2013.
"Justin was our shining star — is our shining star," the assistant principal at Channel View, Joseph Featherson, said in May.
His school and community were distraught by his death and his old coach, Victor Nazario Jr., now wants to honor him with a memorial on the team's field, which overlooks Jamaica Bay.
Nazario Jr. hopes to raise $3,700 to put a memorial plaque on the field. He did not return a request for comment.
In May, some of Zemser's friends organized an online fundraiser to help fly two of his best friends home for his funeral and said the additional money would go towards the memorial plaque.
The friends, who attended school on the west coast, had developed a deep bond through years of playing football together — a bond that was apparent as they dealt with hardships including Hurricane Sandy.
The 2012 storm damaged many of their homes and they were spread across the state staying with family during the recovery. Their school flooded and the football field was also severely damaged.
They became known during a playoff run after the hurricane, after a video of Coach Nazario's touching and inspiring pre-game speech — recognizing what every player went through just to play — was posted online.
A makeshift memorial to Zemser has been on the fence next to the football field since May, but Nazario and the school want to make something permanent.
