David Forney was a thoughtful person with a dry sense of humor.
Navy football teammates saw Forney show more of that personality during his senior season.
Fellow offensive lineman Kendel Wright told The Capital in November that people had to take time to get to know the real David Forney.
“Dave has a hard shell and you have to crack it a little bit. He’s a real good dude once you get past the tough exterior,” said Wright, who met Forney in 2015 at the Naval Academy Prep School and became best friends with him.
Now, Wright and other members of the Navy football team are trying to process the shocking loss of a teammate whose size, strength and power made him a dominant force on the field.
Naval Academy officials announced Forney was the midshipman who died late Thursday night. The 22-year-old Walkersville resident was found unresponsive in his dormitory room at Bancroft Hall by a fellow midshipman. No cause of death has been released.
A CPR-certified midshipman administered resuscitation efforts at the recommendation of first responders en route to Bancroft Hall. Emergency services transported Forney to Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:28 p.m.
Naval Academy public information officer Alana Garas issued a news release at 12:10 a.m. Saturday because that marked 24 hours since the notification of next of kin.
“The entire Naval Academy family — the Brigade of Midshipmen, the faculty, staff, and coaches — are heartbroken over the tragic and unexpected loss of Midshipman David Forney,” said Vice Adm. Sean Buck, superintendent of the Naval Academy. “On behalf of the Naval Academy family, my wife, Joanne, and I extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the Forney family, their friends, as well as to David’s extended Naval Academy family.”
Forney, a product of Georgetown Prep in Washington, D.C., was a three-year letter winner and played in 39 consecutive games over his final three seasons. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder blossomed as a senior — starting all 13 games at left guard and anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for Navy to lead the nation in rushing with an average of 360.5 yards per game.
Forney was named first team All-American Athletic Conference and was praised by running game coordinator Ashley Ingram for assuming more of a leadership role as a senior. Navy enjoyed a magical season in 2019, posting an 11-2 record while beating service academy rivals Army and Air Force to capture the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and defeating Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.
“Words cannot express our pain and sorrow,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “First and foremost, our deepest condolences to the Forney family. The Navy football brotherhood is not a team, we are a family. We are devastated to have lost one of our brothers. We all loved — and will always love — David. We pray for strength during this most difficult time.”
Forney flashed his potential as a plebe and became an integral member of the offensive line as a sophomore, seizing the starting spot at left guard away from a senior. A nagging foot injury impacted Forney’s conditioning as a junior and he wound up starting just one game during the 2018 season while splitting time with Laurent Njiki.
However, Forney rededicated himself during the 2019 offseason and was a different player during his senior campaign. Long described as one of the biggest, strongest members of the Navy football team, Forney turned that sheer talent into performance by overpowering opponents.
“David Forney is playing the best football of his career, by far. In fact, he’s probably playing as good as any guard we’ve had here in a while,” Ingram said for a feature story about Forney in early November. “David has become the player we always thought he would be. He’s 25-30 pounds lighter than last year and is moving really well.”
On Friday, Ingram was trying to come to grips with the death of a player he personally coached all four years at Navy.
“I’m at a loss for words. It’s hard to believe that we’ve lost David Forney,” said Ingram, who works directly with Navy guards. “He was an all-time great Navy offensive lineman, but he was so much more than that. He was the heartbeat behind this season’s record-breaking offense. He loved football, his teammates and the Naval Academy. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will live on. My love and prayers go out to his family and the brotherhood.”
Navy football teammates took to social media to express their sorrow over the loss of Forney with most using the hashtag #684L, a reference to the player’s jersey number. Starting center and team captain Ford Higgins spoke on behalf of the Navy football players.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I say a few words about one of my best friends, David Forney. He was the guy I had the blessing and honor to play next to these past few years,” Higgins said. “During our time on the football field there was a special and unique kinship that was forged through our time in the trenches together. There are uncountable instances where I felt like Dave and I worked together as one mind.
“He was such a great guy and even better friend. He was universally loved on and off the field by teammates and classmates. The Forney family will be in our thoughts and prayers. I loved him dearly and I will miss him forever,” Higgins said.
Forney is survived by his parents, Rick and Erika Forney, along with younger brothers, Chris and Erik, and sister, Rebekah. A member of the 9th Company and a political science major, Forney would have graduated on May 22 and been commissioned as a cryptologic warfare officer.
Service arrangements for Forney are still pending.
