Boone County High School will retire David Trosper's football jersey and honor the 1986 4A State at Large Championship team at its Homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 2.

The dual ceremony marks a rare tribute for the Rebels program. Trosper, an all-state linebacker who graduated from Boone County in 1988, died unexpectedly at his home on June 7, 2025, according to his obituary. He was 55.

The Boone County Athletics department announced the event on X, calling on former players from the 1986 squad to RSVP alongside a team photo.

Trosper played on two Boone County teams that reached the state championship game. The 1986 squad, coached by Owen Hauck, won the 4A state at large title, a designation for the top non-Jefferson County team in the state's former classification system. That team lost to St. Xavier 27-14 in the overall 4A championship at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, according to Kentucky High School Athletic Association records. The Rebels returned to the title game in 1987.

Hauck compiled a 210-101 record in 25 seasons at Boone County, winning 16 district titles and 11 regional championships, according to WCPO. The Rebels still play at Irv Goode Field at Owen Hauck Stadium, named for the late coach.

After graduation, Trosper played at Union College in Barbourville, where he was an all-Mid-South linebacker. His obituary describes a 19-tackle single-game performance as "an enduring record."

Trosper returned to Boone County to coach. He joined Conner High School in Hebron in 2007 as a business teacher and head football coach, a role he held for 18 years. He was twice selected to coach in the Kentucky-Tennessee Border Bowl All-Star Game.

In one of his final notebook entries, Trosper wrote: "I called Conner High School my home for 18 years, I never had any regrets."

Zack Jennings Sr., writing on Trosper's tribute page in June 2025, said the coach shaped young men into fathers and husbands. Jennings called Trosper a stern but loving figure who worked his players hard and cared about them beyond the field.

Trosper is survived by his wife, Ginny, and three children: Morgan, Grace and Christen.

The current Rebels squad, under head coach Dan Court, enters the Homecoming stretch after snapping a seven-year playoff drought. Former members of the 1986 team can RSVP through the Boone County Athletics account on X.