Colleagues Recall Victims’ Leadership, Energy : Slayings: Naval Academy mates call Alton Grizzard a quarterback ‘legend’ and ‘perfect role model.’ Friends marvel at Kerry O’Neill’s track and field records.

Senior co-captain Jason Van Matre and his Naval Academy teammates were watching a film Wednesday afternoon highlighting the 100-year history of the Army-Navy football rivalry, which resumes Saturday at Giants Stadium.

“The film ends with our last-minute 17-16 victory over Army at the Meadowlands in 1989,” Van Matre recalled. “Alton Grizzard, our quarterback, made a number of great runs and put us in position for the winning field goal.

“The closing shot shows Grizzard holding for Frank Schenk before he kicks (the winning field goal). It brought back a flood of memories of how Alton took me under his wing the next year, when I was a plebe.”

Then Navy Coach George Chaump made the announcement that Grizzard, a lieutenant serving with the SEALs, had been killed Wednesday in a murder-suicide at the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado.

Ensign George P. Smith killed Grizzard, 24, and Ensign Kerryn (Kerry) O’Neill, 21, a former record-setting distance runner in the Navy, before committing suicide.

“When the coach told us, my heart just dropped. I couldn’t believe it,” Van Matre said. “To me, Alton was like a legend.”

Grizzard had made a lasting impression on Van Matre. Grizzard was a senior leader lending his wisdom on and off the field to an impressionable freshman.

“I met him on my first visit to the academy in 1990, and he helped convince me to enroll,” said Van Matre, who would become the Navy’s most versatile back.

“Alton was a perfect role model. On the field, he’d never give up until the final gun. It didn’t matter what kind of adversity he faced. He just kept giving everything he had.”

Van Matre set about emulating Grizzard, who holds the academy record for total yardage (5,666).

“My whole goal in football was somehow getting close to Alton’s record before I graduated,” said Van Matre, who goes into his final college game with 3,634 all-purpose yards.

“But the thing I’ll always remember about Alton was his zest for life. He was always upbeat, an inspirational leader. We’ll all miss and mourn him.”

In a tribute, Navy football team members plan to wear stickers labeled “GRIZ” on the backs of their helmets Saturday when they face their rivals from West Point.

O’Neill, who graduated with distinction earlier this year, had 12 varsity letters--four for cross-country, four for indoor track and four for track and field. She also held several academy records in those sports.

“She was one of the finest people I’ve ever known,” said Michelle Montgomery, captain of this year’s cross-country team. “We called her the Energizer bunny because she just kept going and going and going.”

When the team jogged the streets of Annapolis, “she would run in front of cars. I would tell her to be careful, but she would say nothing could hurt her,” Montgomery said.

“It’s sort of ironic,” Montgomery added. “She thought it couldn’t happen to her.”