Alec Eberle and Ryan Izzo didn’t know the three Florida State fans who died in a tragic car accident on their way home from the Seminoles’ game against Delaware State last Saturday.
But after senior wide receiver Jared Jackson shared their stories and explained how much the three young men loved FSU Football, the players didn’t hesitate to help pay tribute.
On the athletic tape securing his left wrist, Jackson wrote the letters B.B. in honor of his friend Brett Bassett.
On his taped wrist, Eberle wrote B.K. for Brett King.
Izzo wrote M.Y. for Matt York.
The three looked at the initials throughout Saturday’s 38-22 victory against rival Florida and posed for a photo after the game to send to the accident victims’ families.
“We just thought it would be a nice gesture for them and their families and friends,” Eberle said. “We just wanted to represent them in the game tonight and hopefully get a win in their honor.”
It was the culmination of an extremely emotional week for not only the immediate family and friends, but the entire Perry, Fla., community. The men were driving back to that area when their vehicle reportedly left the road while rounding a curve.
There were funerals on Wednesday and Friday, surrounding Thanksgiving.
Jackson and his family, who live in nearby Monticello, Fla., were close to Bassett and his family. Bassett’s father, Jim, and Jackson’s father, David, actually grew up playing junior golf together. They also had known King for years.
“It has been tough on that community,” David Jackson said via text message late Saturday.
The older Jackson, who is a golf pro and high school coach, remembers giving golf lessons to the younger Bassett a few years ago. He also coached King in football.
Bassett was 25 years old. York was 30. King was 33.
All three were in the early stages of their life’s journeys. York and his wife gave birth to their first child about six months ago. King and his wife were about two months away from finishing construction of a new house. Basseett was a teacher and football coach in his hometown.
“Brett Bassett was a great guy and a huge FSU fan,” David Jackson said, noting that he saw Bassett at a tailgate before the Delaware State game. “He was active on Warchant and Twitter. Signing Day was his favorite day of the year.”
The FSU community didn’t hesitate to pay their respects. Head coach Jimbo Fisher reached out and offered his condolences earlier in the week, and the players made their gesture on Saturday.
“Any time you go into a game and you’re wearing someone’s initials on you, it’s special,” Eberle said. “When I was in high school, I had a baby cousin who had cancer and I wore his initials every game. Football offers such a big platform. If you can do something like that, that gesture means so much to those families.”
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Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council
