Jack Bech on NFL Draft selection after brother's death: 'They get Tiger too'

TCU wide receiver Jack Bech was selected by the Las Vegas raiders, but they’re getting his late-brother too. Tiger Bech, a former Princeton wide receiver, was tragically killed in January.

But Jack Bech will always carry his brother with him, tattoos, in memory, and on the field in Las Vegas. Tiger died in January during the terrorist truck attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans prior to the Sugar Bowl.

Filled with emotion, it was quite a sight to see Jack soak in the moment and know his brother was watching. That part of him will never go away.

“This is one of the best moments ever,” Bech said on the ABC broadcast of the NFL Draft. “I know like I’ve been saying, it’s a two-for-one dude, not only do they get me, they get Tiger too. It’s a dream come true. Everybody in this room, and the people I love most, people who got me here, I can’t wait to put on for Raider nation.”

Bech is going to dedicate his entire NFL career to his late brother. It’s an honor he’ll carry for the rest of his days too, but it should be a sight to behold on the field.

“I remember he passed away, he (would tell me) one thing for me to get ready, to keep on going,” Bech said. “To keep pushing. He’s brought me to new heights. He’s brought me places I didn’t know I could go, just with dedication and willingness to go out and work. You know, whenever you know, late night, early mornings, he’s going to keep bringing me further and further and further. And I dedicate my whole career to him.”

Bech broke out this past year to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his college career. He finished with 62 catches for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns and was a second team All-Big 12 selection as well as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Bech improved his draft stock even more after the season as he was named the MVP at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. That shot him up among the top 10 receiver prospects according to ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Bech played high school football for St. Thomas More in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was a four-star prospect coming out of the 2021 class. He ranked as the No. 257 overall player and No. 40 receiver in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.