MORGANTOWN - Robert Sands remembers becoming buddies with Jasper Howard when the two were high school athletes in Miami.

There was really no good reason for it, of course. Sands was a long jumper and triple jumper at Carol City High School as a junior. He'd been competing in the events most of his life.

Howard, on the other hand, was a year older and a long jumper, but he was pretty raw. He was also a competitor from a different school, Edison.

Still, the two bonded and Sands gave Howard pointers.

"I was better. That's why I was helping him,'' Sands said with a smile. "But every now and again he'd get me.''

 Whether it had anything to do with the help from Sands is debatable, but by the end of the season Howard was good enough to take second place in his division at the Florida state track and field championships.

"I'm not taking credit for it. He still had to go out there and do it,'' Sands said. "I was just pointing him in the right direction.''

That relationship with Howard is what has made this week a lot tougher than it should be for Sands, West Virginia's sophomore starting free safety. Howard moved on to play college football, too, becoming a cornerback and punt returner at Connecticut. The two should have been meeting this weekend when WVU and UConn play Saturday at Mountaineer Field.

Except, of course, that Howard was stabbed to death on the UConn campus early Sunday morning.

"It was crazy because one of my friends back home kept calling me up [on Sunday] and I kept wondering why he was calling repeatedly,'' Sands said. "[His friend] said, 'Did you hear about Jazz? He got stabbed and I think he's dead.' I said, 'Dead? No, man, we play them this week. He can't be dead.'

MORGANTOWN - Robert Sands remembers becoming buddies with Jasper Howard when the two were high school athletes in Miami.

There was really no good reason for it, of course. Sands was a long jumper and triple jumper at Carol City High School as a junior. He'd been competing in the events most of his life.

Howard, on the other hand, was a year older and a long jumper, but he was pretty raw. He was also a competitor from a different school, Edison.

Still, the two bonded and Sands gave Howard pointers.

"I was better. That's why I was helping him,'' Sands said with a smile. "But every now and again he'd get me.''

 Whether it had anything to do with the help from Sands is debatable, but by the end of the season Howard was good enough to take second place in his division at the Florida state track and field championships.

"I'm not taking credit for it. He still had to go out there and do it,'' Sands said. "I was just pointing him in the right direction.''

That relationship with Howard is what has made this week a lot tougher than it should be for Sands, West Virginia's sophomore starting free safety. Howard moved on to play college football, too, becoming a cornerback and punt returner at Connecticut. The two should have been meeting this weekend when WVU and UConn play Saturday at Mountaineer Field.

Except, of course, that Howard was stabbed to death on the UConn campus early Sunday morning.

"It was crazy because one of my friends back home kept calling me up [on Sunday] and I kept wondering why he was calling repeatedly,'' Sands said. "[His friend] said, 'Did you hear about Jazz? He got stabbed and I think he's dead.' I said, 'Dead? No, man, we play them this week. He can't be dead.'

"It shocked me. Jazz is a good dude. For the most part he's quiet and keeps to himself. For that to happen to him you think, 'Wow, you never know when it's your time to go.' ''

Had it happened back home in Miami, perhaps Sands - or anyone else, for that matter - wouldn't have been as shocked. In fact, Sands has become kind of numb to unexpected and violent death over the years.

"Stuff like that happens all the time back at home,'' Sands said. "I mean, it's unfortunate to say, but stuff like that happens all the time. You've just got to know that out here it's a dog-eat-dog world. You've always got to keep your head on a swivel [because] you never know when it's going to come or where it's going to come from. That's why you've just got to live every day to the fullest and enjoy life and have fun and tell the people you love that you love them every day. You've always got to make sure your family knows you love them.''

Sands never really had that chance with Howard. While the two spoke last year after West Virginia played at Connecticut, that was pretty much the last time. They had connected somewhat through mutual friends, though.

"I was going to try to talk to him this week because we play,'' Sands said. "He was actually talking about me [to their mutual friends] either the night that it happened or the night before. They were relaying the message that he was telling me to bring my 'A' game and stuff like that because he's coming.''

On Saturday, West Virginia's players will wear Howard's No. 6 on a sticker on the back of their helmets. They will line up before the game and observe a moment of silence and shake hands.

For Sands, it will be a little more personal than for most of his West Virginia teammates.

"The only thing I can do is play my best game for him,'' Sands said. "I mean, I'm going to go out there and do my best regardless, but there's a little bit more incentive trying to honor him any way I can, try to make a play or something like that.''

Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.