Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better ending than the final play of Saturday’s Senior Bowl.
One month after his older brother Tiger Bech was one of 14 people killed when a truck drove through a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, TCU wide receiver Jack Bech scored the game-winning touchdown as time expired, prompting an emotional celebration for the younger Bech with his teammates and family.
A WALK-OFF WIN AT THE @SENIORBOWL!
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
Seth Henigan finds Jack Bech for the American Team win! @MemphisFB @TCUFootball pic.twitter.com/Z04yGiQSVH
It was all emotion after the game. https://t.co/kLtXOEGNdY pic.twitter.com/OPD6RQUtiG
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
Bech, who also excelled during the week of practices as he was named the week’s top wide receiver for the American team, earned Senior Bowl MVP honors after catching six passes for 68 yards on Saturday. In an interview with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero after the game, Bech said his older brother drove him to perform the way he did.
“My brother had some wings on me. He gave them to me, and he let that all take place,” Bech said. “Our lord and savior Jesus Christ, Tiger, nothing else but them – they’re the reason I did what I did today. I attribute it all to them.
“It's been surreal just to be able to come and take place in this game. It's a goal you set for yourself. But if I had the option that if I came here, had the worst week ever, ruined my draft stock and that means I could give my brother a hug right now, I would take that,” Bech added. “But on the flip side of that, I don't think I could have had the week that I had if all that wouldn't have happened. So like I said, his wings were on my side and him and Jesus Christ are the reasons I was able to do all of this.”
"My brother had some wings on me."
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
One month after tragically losing his brother, @TCUFootball's Jack Bech scored the game-winning TD and won @seniorbowl MVP @tompelissero pic.twitter.com/8Rlw1vlK3O
Tiger Bech was a wide receiver and kickoff/punt returner at Princeton from 2016-19, earning All-Ivy League honors as a return specialist twice. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native was just 28 at the time of his death.
Bech’s touchdown highlighted a 22-19 win for the American team over the National team in Saturday’s Senior Bowl.
Ohio State did not have any participants in this year’s Senior Bowl; while several Buckeyes accepted invitations to play in the game, each of them decided not to play after Ohio State won the national championship, instead opting to give their bodies some rest and begin preparing for the other aspects of the pre-draft process following Ohio State’s 16-game season.
