Romero was profiled by writer Chris Jenkins in the paper's Dec. 13 issue. Following is what she wrote.

Whenever somebody chided him for doing something obnoxious, Jarred Romero was quick with his comeback: "Well, what are you going to do?"

It will be one of the ways his friends and family will remember him. Romero, 16, a defensive end for Richfield Springs Central School, died of a heart attack after a football practice Aug. 31.

Rev. John Young, minister for the Old Stone Church in nearby Schuyler Lake, says Romero wasn't being a smart aleck. He simply was trying to find out what the consequences might be. "He wanted to find out what you knew about life," Young says."

"He was mature, very likable," Young says. "He tried to please everyone, very intelligent."

He might have been known for his sense of humor, but he was also a part of the Richfield Springs Youth Ministry and was serious about becoming a doctor.

He also loved music. At his funeral, held on the 50-yard line of the field on which he played, the public address system played one of Romero's favorite songs, "Wish You Were Here," by Pink Floyd. He was close to mastering that song on the guitar, which he was learning to play.