Caleb King
Caleb King is a former Naval Academy football player who tragically lost his life earlier this week while conducting a routine fighter jet training mission.
Reports say King was aboard an F/A-18F Super Hornet that crashed on approach to Naval Air Station Key West on Wednesday. Family has confirmed the sad news.
He is one of two people that were killed, Air Force Academy graduate Lt. Cmdr. James Brice Johnson was piloting the jet; while Caleb King was serving as the weapons systems operator. Learn more about the late Caleb King in his top facts below.
#1 He was a standout football player
Caleb King was a standout inside linebacker for the Navy football program (2009-2011). He appeared in 38 games over three seasons. The 6-foot, 223-pounder was the primary backup at both inside linebacker spots as a senior and recorded 31 tackles.
#2 He became a key contributor on special teams
King was a 2007 graduate of Warner Christian Academy in Port Orange, Florida and attended the Naval Academy Prep School. He did not see varsity action as a plebe in Annapolis before becoming a key contributor on special teams as a sophomore.
#3 He played in the Poinsettia Bowl
King was a varsity letterman for the 2009 Navy football team that captured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and finished 10-4 after beating Missouri in the Texas Bowl and the 2010 squad that went 9-4 and played in the Poinsettia Bowl.
#4 He belonged to the Blacklion family
Caleb King was assigned to the Blacklions of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-213. A release reads
“The entire Blacklion Family is grieving the loss of two great Americans. Lt. Cmdr. Johnson and Lt. King were phenomenal young men, exceptional naval aviators, and were living models of what honor, courage and commitment really mean”
#5 He leaves behind a wife and child
30-year-old Caleb King, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida –is survived by his wife, Victoria, and a 15-month-old daughter, Rain. The family lives in Pensacola, FL.
