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UF homecoming bittersweet for recovering teen

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BY YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: October 28, 2009

BLOOMINGDALE - A young woman whose days are typically filled with rehabilitation sessions spent a whirlwind weekend in Gainesville recently, a treat from some who had heard her story and were touched deeply.

The 19-year-old, raped, beaten and left for dead at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in 2008, is unable to walk and talk, and can barely see.

But during the University of Florida's homecoming weekend, she rode in a parade and met Gator quarterback Tim Tebow and head football Coach Urban Meyer.

She also attended Gator Growl, an entertainment extravaganza that was held the night before the Oct. 17 Florida-Arkansas football game, which she and her family attended.

The weekend was the culmination of weeks of planning by former Tampa resident Steve Stock, who got a lot of assistance from homecoming sponsor coordinator Andrew Winner and numerous others who worked to arrange the special events for the young woman.

Stock, a UF alumnus whose daughter is a senior at the school, had seen a story on the woman's progress while visiting Tampa this summer. He felt compelled to do something special for the young woman, who had been accepted to UF shortly before the attack.

It turned out to be even better than planned, Stock said.

"I think somebody up above was looking down on us today," Stock said, after a chance meeting with Meyer on the Friday of homecoming weekend.

Moments after Stock related the teenager's story to Meyer, the coach headed for the nearby Gator locker room, shouting for Tebow, his star quarterback.

"It's also an amazing story how she and her family are working to get past this tragedy. It's a miracle she's here and alive," Tebow said later that evening. He said he was happy to be part of the moment.

Because of the nature of the crime, the victim's name is not being published.

Kendrick Morris, 18, of Clair-Mel City, is awaiting trial on four counts of sexual battery, kidnapping, robbery and other offenses in the library attack and an unrelated assault on a day care worker.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 627-4763.

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