Friday’s Boston College-Rutgers opener doubles as the 13th annual Red Bandanna Game, staged on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 to honor alumnus Welles Crowther.
Crowther, a 1999 BC graduate and former lacrosse player, helped at least a dozen people escape the South Tower before dying in its collapse at age 24.
Rutgers was chosen in part because it is the closest FBS program to New York City; coach Greg Schiano said the attacks remain personal, with 37 Rutgers alumni killed.
Bill O’Brien said no player in the game was born before 2001, pushing BC to spend the week teaching Crowther’s story and the meaning behind the tradition.
The tribute comes days after Crowther was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, underscoring how the game has grown beyond football into a broader act of remembrance.