'Guardian Angel' song honors D'Sean Perry, UVA football player killed in school shooting

D'Sean Perry was one who "made it."

That's part of what made it so shocking and heartbreaking when the Virginia linebacker was killed with two other players during a campus shooting in November.

His friend and former mentee, Terell Torrence, poured those emotions into a song, "Guardian Angel." He recorded it the same day he heard the tragic news and the song is now being distributed by legendary Miami label Slip-N-Slide Records.

Fast friends: Football, music and life

Torrence met Perry through a mutual friend after Torrence transferred to Gulliver Prep in Florida, where Perry starred before traveling north to play in the ACC of UVA. Torrence appeared in 15 games across three seasons for the Cavaliers and had a career-high four tackles in a victory over Old Dominion in September. Perry was a few years older and was already in Virginia when Torrence started at the high school, but he served as a mentor, helping Torrence navigate the world of recruitment and college football. The two became quick friends and would chat about football, music and life.

"D’Sean was really just a very cool person," Torrence told USA TODAY Sports. "I really feel like that’s where we clicked so much on a whole different level, and he really helped me out a lot."

After playing a year at a Division II school in Jacksonville, Torrence decided football wasn't for him and committed to other passion he and Perry shared. He is now a musician who goes by the stage name TJ2Offixial. Torrence has fond memories of Perry freestyling and inviting whoever was around to join in. Torrence described Perry as a leader who was "always positive."

Torrence is from Liberty City, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Miami, and said he is no stranger to losing people, but Perry's death hit differently.

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"I lost a lot of friends growing up. I had a lot of people die, but those people was doing activities that really wasn’t necessarily right," Torrence said. "I’m not saying nobody deserved anything that they got or deserved to die or anything like that, but D’Sean wasn’t that type of person.

"This was somebody that went to school. He worked hard. Then to us, making it to the DI college stage, you’re on the big stage, you’re in front of all the big cameras, you got all the support, you’re getting all the love, all the respect ‘cause you’re a DI football player. ... You work hard to get to that, you work hard to earn a full scholarship like D’Sean did, and so you know for something like that to happen to him after he made it to that level, honestly speaking, it really just, it hurt a lot to see somebody get that far just for everything to be cut short so quickly."

TJ2Offixial recorded 'Guardian Angel' to honor D'Sean Perry

Torrence was playing "Call of Duty" with friends after a long day at work when he got the tragic news.

"My controller fell out of my hand, tears started flowing in my eyes ‘cause it was really just like something I couldn’t really believe," Torrence said. "I was hurt, I was sad and I was angry at everything."

He already had a studio session booked and he went and recorded "Guardian Angel" that day as a tribute to his late friend. He put nods to Perry in the lyrics, including referencing his jersey number and "The Crest," which is a nickname for Gulliver Prep because of its location in Pinecrest.

"It kind of took me, I wanna say, maybe about two to three hours out of the session to record the song ‘cause I kept stopping and having the engineer muting the mic while I was inside the booth because I just kept crying," he said. "I actually couldn’t believe that that had happened, and I was actually writing a song about somebody that I cared about, somebody that I loved, somebody that was always there for me no matter what."

Torrence's heartfelt words are placed over a soundscape of synthesized guitar strums and a booming bass.

The song's hook begins, "Dawg I can't believe you're gone, everybody post a pic, so I cut off my phone. Your situation that just rubbed me wrong, extra sips right out the mud, I keep my styrofoam."

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Proceeds from 'Guardian Angel' go to D'Sean Perry's family

Torrence said he didn't make the song for money or fame and wasn't even going to release it to the public. One day, he played "Guardian Angel" for Perry's sister, who really liked the song. She had her send it to him and then she sent it to her father. It circulated around until it landed in the hands of Ted Lucas, a family friend of the Perrys and the founder of Slip-N-Slide Records, an iconic label that is home to Trina, Trick Daddy and more. Lucas distributed the song through Slip-N-Slide and Empire, with all proceeds going to the Perry family.

"The very first time I was texting (Lucas) on Instagram, I actually was crying because Slip-N-Slide was one of my favorite record labels growing up," Torrence said. "That was just something major for me."

"Football and art was his passion, but the love that he had for his family, friends and his community was proven time and time again through his candid dedication," the Perry family said in a statement. "We are very thankful, grateful, as well as blessed, and give Terell Torrence (TJ2Offixial) our blessing as he shines his light on D’Sean with his new single ‘Guardian Angel’.”

Virginia even played "Guardian Angel" ahead of the Cavaliers' Spring Game, which was a special moment for Torrence.

"I didn’t really need the song to do a million views and a million plays, I just needed people to hear it," he said. "And I really felt like it did.

"Watching the football players vibe and dance to music while they’re warming up, it really brought a warm feeling to my heart."

Torrence reflects in the song on how Perry won't be able to accomplish things like wearing a yellow canary diamond chain or getting married. He said losing his friend gave him a new appreciation for each day.

"It kind of motivated me and really taught me a lesson, as far as to not take anything for granted," he said. "Because you’re here today, but it’s no telling if you’re going to be here tomorrow.

"Life doesn’t have any guarantees, so you gotta live life to the fullest while you got it."

A previous version of this story misspelled Terell Torrence's last name.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Friend of D'Sean Perry writes "Guardian Angel" tribute song