MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The 9-year-old boy who died in a bus crash while heading back to Memphis on Dec. 3 from a football trip was laid to rest Saturday.
Kameren Johnson was one of more than 40 people on the bus during the crash, but he was the only one who did not survive. The funeral was about remembering the boy who made a lasting memory on everyone there.
“Kameren didn’t die,” Lakisha Johnson said. “He simply marked a win in his column and bowed out gracefully. He didn’t die, but he won the world championship by being inducted into heaven’s football hall of fame.”
Kameren Johnson was a student at Aspire Coleman Elementary School. His family said, like a typical 9-year-old boy, he loved to play video games and football—his favorite sport.
Johnson’s teammates who were on the bus with him during the crash came to the funeral service to remember their friend.
They remembered the good times they had and even surprised Johnson’s mother with a gift she’s likely to cherish forever.
“Mom, you asked us,” an Orange Mound Youth Association staff member said. “You said you wanted Kam’s jersey that he wore, and we did everything we could and called everybody we could to get it off that bus, and they made it happen.”
Coaches followed Johnson’s family, describing him as a playful 9-year-old full of love. Now, he is their guardian angel.
“Kameren won access to a heaven we hope to see one day,” Lakisha Johnson said.
In addition to Johnson’s jersey, the Orange Mound Youth Association gave Johnson’s parents a shoe with his jersey number on it and personal written notes from his teammates.
Johnson leaves behind three brothers and three sisters.