Mack Brown stresses the need for North Carolina to keep Tylee Craft's presence alive

North Carolina student coach and former Tar Heels wide receiver Tylee Craft died earlier this month after a battle with cancer. Mack Brown and the UNC program are ensuring that his presence lives on.

North Carolina will continue to honor Tylee Craft moving forward, Brown shared earlier this week. He also detailed how UNC will go about doing that.

“We’re going to keep his locker. … We’re going to keep his presence as much as we can and without being awkward,” Mack Brown said. “So whatever presence in a meeting, whatever presence in a locker room, the traveling. That’s where the jersey fits, I think.”

Brown has unfortunately had to deal with a tragedy in his football program before.

When he was the head coach at Texas he had a former player die in Cole Pittman.

“When we lost our young man Cole Pittman at Texas, he was a sophomore, we kept his locker alive until he would have graduated,” Mack Brown said. “And we gave the rings to his parents when he graduated with his legacy. And like [Tylee Craft] gets special shoes and stuff, we gave those to mom the other day. And the funeral was just wonderful. … It grabs your heart.”

Tylee Craft was hospitalized in early October as his condition deteriorated. And a week after being admitted for more intensive treatment, the somber news came from the Tar Heels.

“It is with love and fond memories that we announce Tylee Craft has begun his journey on the other side,” the North Carolina football account posted on Twitter said. “Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways we’ll always be thankful for. He was 1-of-1 and, while he won’t be with us in body, he’ll be watching over us with his endearing smile and endless positivity. On behalf of his family and our program, we sincerely thank everyone who supported Tylee during his battle with cancer. It means more than you know.”

The Tar Heels played an annual cancer awareness game earlier this month. Craft, due to his worsening condition, couldn’t attend in person.

“Let me start by saying this is the cancer awareness week for our game. We are dedicating the game to Tylee Craft,” said Brown. “We’re not sure that he’ll be able to come. We’re hoping he’ll feel better by then.”

Craft appeared in 11 games at wide receiver and on special teams for North Carolina over his first two seasons. However, with his diagnosis of a rare lung cancer in stage four, he missed each of the last two. Craft then medically retired in order to serve as a student coach at UNC.