PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A local football star who was injured in the Jan. 1 truck attack in New Orleans received a special surprise from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ryan Quigley, 26, of Lansdale, was with his best friend Martin “Tiger” Bech in New Orleans for New Year’s celebrations when a truck drove into the Bourbon Street crowd — killing two dozen people and injuring three dozen more, including Quigley. Bech died at the scene.
Quigley, who played football at Princeton with 27-year-old Bech, was invited to the Nova Care Complex by the Eagles. On crutches, he walked through the practice facility, thinking he was only there for a tour. Instead, he got a big surprise from defensive end Brandon Graham.
“It’s OK if you’re not feeling it, but we’d love to have you down for the Super Bowl, man,” said Graham to the visibly moved Quigley.
Quigley accepted the tickets. The big game, between the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, takes place on Feb. 9, in the same city where he lost his best friend.
“Tiger’s like the biggest fan, as we went to every home game last year, all year. After every win — which, there’s obviously 15 of them — I told him, ‘You know, if we make it I promise I am going to take you to the Super Bowl.’ So I would love nothing more than to still take him.”
Bech’s sister Ginnie tearfully thanked the Eagles and told them it was almost a full circle moment.
“[From] such a negative, horrible memory, to such a really beautiful and cool memory truly means so much,” she shared.
A GoFundMe for Quigley’s recovery and Bech’s family has raised more than $120,000 so far.
“He was a special dude,” Quigley told Graham of his late friend. “Y’all would have loved him.”