Former New Jersey College Football Star Among Victims In NOLA

🔺   Terrorist uses van to mow down New Year's Eve revelers on Bourbon St.

🔺   At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured

🔺   Former Princeton University Football star was killed in the attack

A former New Jersey college football standout was one of the victims of the terrorist attack in New Orleans during the early hours of New Year's Day.

27-year-old Tiger Bech,  a Lafayette, Louisianna native was a kick-returner for the Princeton Tigers between 2016 and 2018.

Bech graduated from Princeton in 2021 with a degree in finance.

He was currently employed as a trader with a New York brokerage firm.

In a cruel twist of fate, Bech was in New Orleans visiting for the holidays, when he, along with at least 15 others, were mowed down in what authorities are labeling a terrorist attack.

The young man was transported to a New Orleans hospital, where he was kept on life support until his family could arrive.

He passed early Wednesday morning.

Bech was a standout wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner, and defensive back at St. Thomas More Catholic High School, before going on to play football at Princeton University.

According to NOLA.com, Bech earned all-state honors while at St.Thomas More Catholic High School.

In addition, he was a member of the All-Acadiana Regional and All-District First Team as a senior.

During his time playing for the Tigers, Bech had 53 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns.

Bech would have turned 28 in just a few weeks.

Marty Cannon, the current Principal at St. Thomas More told NOLA.com,

Tiger was one of a kind.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone that could do things on a football field that Tiger could do. I’ve seen a lot of good ones at St. Thomas and I’ve seen a lot when I was playing college football (at UL).

Cannon, who is also a former coach for the high school team added,

Tiger could do things that were just unexplainable for that body type and that short stature, but all that power.

Friends of Tiger Bech gathered for a memorial in his honor Wednesday after at the school's chapel.

Source:  NYPOST