Earlier this week, members of North Carolina’s soccer staff visited teammate Tylee Craft, who was transferred to hospice care amid his battle with lung most cancers.
Previous to their recreation Saturday, the Tar Heels paid tribute to him. In the course of the recreation, Tar Heel receiver J.J. Jones scored a landing whereas sporting Craft’s jersey.
After its recreation in opposition to Georgia Tech, the staff discovered Craft had died earlier within the day on the age of 23.
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Head coach Mack Brown, left, of the North Carolina Tar Heels embraces September Craft, mom of North Carolina vast receiver Tylee Craft, through the first half of a recreation in opposition to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Kenan Memorial Stadium Oct. 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Pictures)
“We simply heard that we misplaced Tylee Craft this morning,” an emotional Mack Brown stated after the sport, sporting a “Tylee Robust” shirt.
Brown stated the staff had realized Craft had “two days to 2 weeks.” So, on Thursday, gamers “all ran to see him, hugged him, talked to him and laughed with him.”
“We did not know if he was going to make it this morning earlier than the sport, and it’s important to determine how you are going to inform a gaggle — what a tough factor to inform a gaggle about certainly one of their finest associates,” Brown added. “It is a very, very tough time for them. We instructed them to get with our psychological well being individuals, their associates, their dad and mom.”
The North Carolina Tar Heels take the sphere earlier than a recreation in opposition to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Kenan Memorial Stadium Oct. 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Pictures)
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Craft’s mom was on the pregame ceremony. Brown stated she hugged him “and cried onerous after the primary quarter, so I figured it wasn’t good.”
“Tylee meant a lot to so many and affected us in methods we’ll all the time be glad about. He was certainly one of one, and, whereas he gained’t be with us in physique, he’ll be watching over us along with his endearing smile and limitless positivity,” UNC stated in an announcement.
Brown introduced the varsity’s vitamin middle could be named after Craft, and officers had instructed Craft earlier than he died. He additionally stated receivers need to rotate sporting Craft’s jersey for the remainder of the season, starting with Jones on Saturday.
North Carolina vast receiver Tylee Craft (13) walks the sideline through the second half of a recreation in opposition to Minnesota Sept. 16, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Picture/Reinhold Matay)
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Craft performed in a mixed 11 video games for UNC within the 2020 and 2021 seasons and was identified in March 2022.
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