10/30/2026 7:21:00 AM | Football, General
A 13th different Lumberjack will don the program's famed No. 16 on Saturday in an afternoon of remembrance
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -Â Every fall, a Lumberjack puts on No. 16 and carries a story that began long before many of today's players were born. The player changes. The meaning of the number endures.
It belongs to the memory of Presley Calloway "Cally" Belcher, whose life ended at 22 but whose influence continues to connect generations of SFA Football. His story lives through former teammates, a family embraced by the program and players entrusted with representing the qualities he brought to the field.
On Saturday, October 31, the Lumberjacks will continue that remembrance during their annual Cally Belcher game against Houston Christian. Kickoff at Homer Bryce Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.
For those who knew him, the occasion remembers a friend and teammate. For those learning his story, it offers an introduction to someone whose example remains relevant more than three decades after his final game.
A LUMBERJACK FROM HUNTSVILLE
Born in 1971, Belcher grew up in Huntsville, where he graduated from Huntsville High School in 1990. Before wearing SFA's purple and white, he wore No. 22 for the Hornets and earned first-team all-district recognition at strong safety in 1988 and 1989. His hometown continues to honor him through the Cally Belcher Memorial Scholarship, recognizing an outstanding athlete in his memory.
His college career took him to Nacogdoches, where he became a fixture in the Lumberjack secondary. A three-year letter winner from 1991–93, Belcher earned honorable mention All-Southland Conference recognition twice at strong safety and helped SFA finish 8–4 and reach the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. That season included a victory at nationally ranked Boise State in which Belcher contributed key plays.
He started all 33 games of his Lumberjack career, recording 190 tackles, including 139 solo stops, four tackles for loss and five interceptions. Known as one of the Southland's hardest hitters, he brought a physical presence to SFA's defense. Away from competition, those who knew him remembered a humble, soft-spoken young man whose dependability made him a valued teammate.
A LOSS THAT CHANGED THE PROGRAM
Belcher entered spring practice in 1994 preparing for his senior season and a move from strong safety to outside linebacker. On March 22, while participating in drills, he sustained a blow to the helmet, collapsed on the field and was transported to the hospital.
He underwent surgery after suffering a ruptured blood vessel in his brain and remained in a coma for a week. On March 29, Belcher passed away from a brain aneurysm. He was 22.
The NCAA News documented his death in its April 13, 1994, edition. Behind that brief account was a family grieving its son and a football program mourning someone whose importance extended far beyond his position on the depth chart.
Former head coach John Pearce's tribute emphasized the character, determination, courage and leadership Belcher displayed. Pearce remembered someone who represented his family, teammates and school exceptionally well—a standard that would become central to the way SFA preserved his memory.
On September 10, 1994, SFA permanently retired Belcher's No. 16 during a special halftime ceremony at the Montana State game. For the next 20 years, no Lumberjack wore the number in competition.
THE STRONGEST LINK
A steel chain link became another lasting connection to Belcher. Introduced during his playing days to represent team unity, the symbol took on deeper meaning after his passing. Cally became remembered as the team's strongest link.
"It has been the link holding the team together for 20 years," his mother, Helen Belcher, said on the 20th anniversary of his passing.
That feature also described his framed jersey in the fieldhouse's Champions Room, a chain link draped from its neck. Among the program's trophies and accomplishments, the memorial preserved the place of a teammate whose influence could never be measured entirely by statistics.
Former teammates helped carry that connection into The 16 Club, raising money for head trauma research and a memorial scholarship.
"You don't forget the great ones," former teammate Chad Kelly told KTRE in 2018. "He had the 'it' factor. He was the heart of our team."
A FAMILY'S LASTING CONNECTION
For Cally's family, each remembrance game connects the teammates who knew him with the Lumberjacks who carry his legacy forward. Cally was their only child, his mother, Helen, shared with KTRE in 2018, giving the program's continued embrace of his memory a deeply personal meaning.
That bond is part of what makes wearing No. 16 such a meaningful honor. Past recipients Cody Williams and Marlon Walls spoke about the Belcher family's support and their desire to represent Cally's name proudly. Their reflections capture the responsibility passed to each new honoree: to honor a beloved teammate and son while ensuring his story continues to reach another generation.
More than three decades after Cally's passing, the annual tradition keeps his family's connection to SFA at the heart of his legacy.
A LEGACY PASSED FORWARD
Former SFA assistant coach Gene Chizik carried Belcher's memory into his own family, naming his son Cally in his honor. The younger Chizik eventually played college football at Furman, carrying a name tied to the relationship his father had formed with Belcher.
Kelly's son, Heston, also grew up understanding that connection and chose to wear No. 16 at Magnolia High School in Belcher's memory. Although he had never met Cally, he knew what the former Lumberjack meant to his father and their family.
At SFA, the 20th anniversary of Belcher's passing brought a new chapter. On September 20, 2014, wide receiver Aaron Thomas became the first Lumberjack to wear No. 16 since its retirement, helping SFA defeat Weber State 35–20 in the first Cally Belcher game at Homer Bryce Stadium.
The annual tradition has since entrusted players across offensive, defensive and special teams positions with carrying Belcher's memory onto the field.
Saturday offers another opportunity to pass that story forward. A number returns to the field, a family's connection continues and another generation learns about the man behind the jersey.
Thirty-two years after his passing, Cally Belcher remains SFA's strongest link.
Previous players who have worn the jersey since 2014 include:2014 Aaron Thomas, Wide Receiver
2015 Joshawa West, Running Back
2016 Jamal Allen, Defensive End
2017 Marlon Walls, Safety
2018 Cody Williams, Wide Receiver
2019 Quin Jones, Cornerback
2020Â Gavin Roland, Safety
2021Â Max Quick, Punter
2022Â Xavier Gipson, Wide Receiver
2023Â Tkai Lloyd, Defensive Back
2024 Jermaine Brown, Defensive Back
2025Â Blaine Green, Wide Receiver
The player chosen to wear the number 16 jersey for the Lumberjacks against Houston Christian will be announced at the team's pregame meal on Saturday.
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For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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