Teen Heroes Emerge When Tornado Rips Through Alabama High School

March 5, 2007 — -- Late last night, Tim and Laura Jackson were finalizing the plans for the funeral of their 16-year-old son, A.J. Jackson.

He and seven other students were killed last Thursday when a tornado tore through Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Ala.

"He was born on Mother's Day," Laura Jackson said. "He's my Mother's Day baby ... That means this year will be most difficult because May 13 is Mother's Day this year. ... But I was given a special gift."

That gift was a tall, strong young man who gave his life for another student. As the walls were crumbling down around them, A.J. Jackson stood up and used all the strength he had to protect a young woman he barely knew.

"We were told it was a concrete beam ... pillar that he tried to hold up so that it wouldn't hit the girl and she was able to get out," his mother said.

"We was told ... about 9:00, 9:30 that night at city hall that A.J. had been a hero, which we already knew he was a hero," Tim Jackson said.

Brittany Crocker, the student he saved, plans to attend his funeral.

"I greatly appreciate what A.J. did," Crocker said. "I guess he's kind of hero to me and my family."

"We know A.J. would do it again with a smile on his face," Tim Jackson said.

Other heroes have emerged from the destruction and death that took place at the high school.

Courtney Bowden was new to town. Dylan Lewis and Brent Smith protected her from falling debris. She had two friends who died.

"We just covered her up the best we could," Smith said.

Lewis said he hadn't done anything special.

"I don't feel like I did anything heroic really. I just did what I felt was right," he said.

Bowden said it changed the way she thinks about life.

"It's one of those things where 10 seconds can change your life and change your perspective on life," she said. "I lost two friends, but I gained two friends."