Ad Disclosure
Former LSU wideout Jack Bech is still feeling the emotions of losing his brother, Tiger, in the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year’s Day.
His brother was 1 of 14 people killed in the attack on Bourbon Street, and it’s been a brutal 4 months for Bech and his family, to say the least. Bech loved his brother, saying during Senior Bowl week that he had “the greatest guardian angel of them all” watching over him when he caught the game-winning touchdown.
Bech split his college time between LSU in 2021 and 2022 before finishing at TCU in 2023 and 2024. Last season, he capped his collegiate career by being named second-team All-Big 12.
Then on Friday night during the NFL Draft, Bech realized a dream, and when that dream hit him, the emotions of everything he’d been through started flowing. Bech was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round with the 58th overall pick. The Raiders went after Bech, who had 1,034 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns last season for the Horned Frogs.
Whenever a player is picked in the NFL Draft, there is always celebration and emotion. But on Friday night, there was plenty of extra emotion, and it was displayed by Bech and his family with heartfelt hugs that had that little something extra.
Here was Bech and his family’s reaction after he was picked by the Raiders:
Starting this fall, the former LSU and TCU star will get to play for his late brother once again, this time in the NFL.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
