Jason Kelce Sobs Endlessly on Tragic Loss Hours Before Super Bowl As Eagles Fan Makes Heartfelt Gesture

As former Princeton Tigers’ player Ryan Quigley packed his bags on February 6, a heavy feeling settled in his heart. He was returning to a city he had vowed to never return again. On January 1, it was after midnight that Ryan, and his best friend and teammate Martin “Tiger” Bech had started walking around Bourbon Street on January 1. Suddenly, a deafening noise hit their ears, and before the duo could realize what was happening, everything turned dark.

When Ryan woke up in the hospital later, the first thing he wanted to know was Tiger’s condition. “They said he was asking where his friend was and saying that they should take care of all the people around him. He was saying that he was okay,” Tiger’s mother Michelle recalled in a conversation. There was no answer to be given.

Martin “Tiger” Bech, who has often been described as a “vibrant” and “endearing” personality, and always “went out of his way to include everyone” was no more. He was one of the 14 people killed in the New Year’s Day attack by 42-year-old Texas resident, Shamsud-Din Jabbar. The vehicle that was used to carry out the deadly rampage was reportedly a rented Ford pickup truck, with a black ISIS flag flying from the rear bumper.

Like Michelle, countless other mothers lost their children. Some lost their brothers, some lost their partners, daughters, and relatives. But one theme was common: An undeniable and inextinguishable feeling of loss, and emptiness, and the next to impossible task of living life without them. “I have the rest of my life to cry. I have a small window to do the best I can to honor my son in the best possible way, to let as many people know who he was,” Michelle said.

For Ryan, it’s a different struggle. With a broken fibula, a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and countless other lacerations—which Ryan likes to call “road rash”, he’ll stand face to face with the grief he had aimed to leave behind…

Ahead of the Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome—barely 1.1 miles away from Bourbon Street—the Philadelphia Eagles reached out to the young boy. As Ryan reached the NovaCare Complex with Tiger’s sister and her friend, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham walked out of the weight room with two Super Bowl tickets in his hands.

I’ve always heard about these stories. But Brandon (Graham) came up and gave me those tickets, I broke down. To be a part of that story and to share it with the Eagles in helping them share Tiger’s story, I mean, it truly means the world,” Tiger’s best friend had said later. Ryan had reportedly turned Tiger, a Louisiana native, into an Eagles fan, and the two had promised to go watch the Birds in a Super Bowl.

So, yes Ryan was definitely going to keep his promise. As if it’s his lifelong mission to tell people about the kind of person Tiger was.

On February 10, as the Superdome echoed with chants of “Fly, Eagles Fly”, there was a different scene unfolding inside the broadcasting room. Former Eagles player Jason Kelce sat quietly before breaking down in tears. As a documentary summarized the heartbreaking incident, Tiger’s father mentioned through tears, “The injuries that he sustained to his head…They were severe, and…I just pray that he didn’t suffer. The depth of love you feel for your child. When they leave this world, it’s just the worst thing you can imagine.”

“I’m definitely pretty nervous to be back in New Orleans. But I thought about it, and Tiger would want me to be here. He always said, ‘I’m here for a good time, and not a long time’. And, damn! Is that true…I just know he’s looking after us every second. I couldn’t ask for a better guardian angel in my life,” Ryan concluded as he sat outside the Super Bowl LIX venue. As the video ended, the broadcast went back to the Postseason NFL Countdown room, where Kelce struggled to hold back his tears.

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said, “It’s obviously a very emotional story. [Jason] you’ve met Ryan.” “Yeah man,” the NFL veteran responded back.  It became too much to hold back. Kelce’s voice trembled, his head bowed, and in front of cameras and teammates alike, they let him grieve.

Kelce has always worn his emotions on his sleeve. Whether delivering a fiery parade speech or shedding tears of joy for his teammates. “There are awful people in this world,” Kelce said through choked sobs, “but then there’s this. There’s something so beautiful about this on one end.” When talking about something this sensitive, it wasn’t about football anymore. It was about something far bigger—about love, loss, and the indomitable spirit of those left behind.

For Kelce and the Eagles, it was about Ryan, about Tiger, about the power of brotherhood. As Ryan said, “We’re taking our power back. We’re not letting evil win.”

And as the Eagles take the field tonight, they carry with them not just their city’s hopes, but the memory of a fan who should have been there, standing beside his best friend.

A promise kept: Honoring a friendship that transcends loss

It was a promise made in the thrill of victory, a promise sealed by years of friendship and unwavering loyalty. Every time the Eagles won, Ryan Quigley and Tiger Bech celebrated together. Convinced that one day, they’d see themselves play on the biggest stage. “If we make it, I promise I’m taking you to the Super Bowl,” Ryan had told Tiger, a pledge that is forever in their hearts. But on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, that future was stolen. A senseless act of violence by an ISIS terrorist on Bourbon Street left Tiger and 13 more dead and Ryan’s right leg injured. The dream they had shared now seemed impossible—until the Eagles stepped in.

When the organization learned of Ryan’s story, they didn’t hesitate. DC Brandon Graham personally reached out, inviting him to the game. “The real reason we brought you,” Graham began, “is because we love you. We know what happened, and we know what this means to you.” Despite the pain, despite the trauma, Ryan knew he had to honor his friend. He came to the very place that took his best friend’s life and stood right there to prove that, Tiger was still with him.

The weight of Tiger’s absence was heavy, we all might to might not have experienced the same. But Ryan refused to let grief define his journey. As he walked through the Super Bowl festivities, he played “Free Bird” on repeat 8 times—a song Tiger had played countless times in college, its lyrics now a poignant reminder of a life lived fully but cut tragically short. “The Eagles and Tiger are flying high tonight,” Ryan said, tears in his eyes. “We’re still here. We’re still standing.”

But the story didn’t end there. At the Senior Bowl, just days before the Super Bowl, Tiger’s younger brother, Jack Bech, made a moment that felt almost destined. Wearing his late brother’s number, Jack caught the game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock in a moment of sheer poetic justice. It was as if Tiger himself was guiding him, reminding the world that his spirit still burned bright. For Ryan, for the Bech family, and every Eagles fan watching. The message was clear: love and legacy endure far beyond the final whistle.