Fortuna Files: Rest in peace, Tylee Craft
Don't let Mack Brown and UNC's moment of grace get lost amid a wild college football weekend.
Twenty-three thoughts in honor of Tylee Craft’s 23 beautiful years of life.
1. Let’s start with the important things in life. North Carolina lost what seemed like a heartbreaker of a football game on Saturday. Immediately afterward, the program announced that it had suffered actual heartbreak earlier in the day, as receiver Tylee Craft had passed away after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer.
2. Mack Brown addressed the news in his postgame news conference. He referred to Tylee’s mother hugging him hard during a tribute to Tylee — whom the team knew was in hospice — at the end of the first quarter, which he figured meant bad news. That hug was broadcast on The CW Network, and it rips your heart out knowing what you know now.
3. Say what you want about Brown the coach these days. But he is a real one. He cares about his players deeply. The way he took care of Craft from the moment he was diagnosed back in March of 2022 was admirable. Hell, so was the way he somehow got his team to respond mid-game from a double-digit deficit to Georgia Tech.
4. I help run the FWAA-Orange Bowl Courage Award, and Craft was our Week 1 nominee this season. He was nominated in 2022, too. I’m not sure we’ve ever had someone nominated two different times, but it speaks to Craft’s indomitable spirit. RIP, Tylee. Stay strong, UNC.