There are traditions in football built around rivalries, championships, and trophies.
Then some traditions remind everyone why the game is played in the first place.
Stu Sligh Sr. (front center) stands with Savannah Country Day's five captains and the Hornets football team during the program's annual preseason ceremony honoring the life and legacy of former student-athlete Stu Sligh Jr.
Every August, before Savannah Country Day begins another football season, the Hornets pause to remember one of their own.
Former student-athlete Stu Sligh Jr. '14 never gets to take the field with the team, but his presence is still felt throughout the program. His story is shared with every player, and the five values which defined his life, Faith, Family, Character, Class, and Commitment, continue to serve as the standard for what it means to wear a Hornet uniform.
Each year, Stu's father, Stu Sligh Sr., visits the team to talk about his remarkable son. It has become one of the most meaningful moments of the preseason, reminding players that touchdowns or championships don't measure the greatest legacy, but rather the impact a person has on others.
For the past several years, the Hornets have honored Stu by allowing one player to wear his retired No. 5 jersey, an honor reserved for the teammate who best represents the values Stu lived every day.
This season, however, the coaching staff made a decision that says a lot about the legacy Stu continues to leave behind.
Instead of selecting one player to wear No. 5, Savannah Country Day will keep the jersey retired throughout the 2026 season.
Rather than placing the spotlight on a single individual, the Hornets will recognize five team captains, each entrusted with carrying forward one of the five principles that represented Stu's life.
Savannah Country Day's five captains (from left) William Rhodes, Wells Headley, Stu Sligh, Sr., Timmy Stolba, Thomas Holland, Finn Smith, pose following the Hornets' annual preseason ceremony honoring the legacy of Stu Sligh Jr.
Those captains are junior William Rhodes, seniors Wells Headley, Fiin Smith, Timmy Stolba, Thomas Holland, and Finn Smith.
The honor isn't based on statistics, awards, or highlight-reel plays.
It's earned through leadership, selflessness, and the example each player sets every day—in the locker room, in the classroom, and in the community.
For the Savannah Country Day coaching staff, honoring Stu this way reinforces an important message: one person can inspire an entire team, and one legacy can shape a football program for generations.
Savannah Country Day head football coach Joey Blackmore addresses the Hornets during the team's annual preseason ceremony honoring former student-athlete Stu Sligh Jr. The tradition reminds players of the values that continue to guide the football program on and off the field.
While the No. 5 jersey won't be seen on the field this fall, everything it represents will.
It will be reflected in the way teammates encourage one another after a difficult practice. It will be seen in players choosing accountability over excuses, putting the team ahead of themselves, and representing Savannah Country Day with pride wherever they go.
Those are the qualities Stu Sligh Jr. left behind.
As another season begins, the Hornets won't simply remember Stu—they'll strive to live the values that made his life so meaningful.
Because sometimes the most powerful legacy isn't found in the number on the front or back of a jersey.
It's found in the lives that continue to be changed because of the person who previously wore it.
A close-up of Savannah Country Day's retired No. 5 football jersey, which honors former Hornet student-athlete Stu Sligh Jr. The number remains one of the program's most meaningful symbols, representing the values of faith, family, character, class and commitment.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Savannah Country Day Athletics on Instagram
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Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
