It’s not always easy for Boston College to make a name for itself on the football field in the ACC, but for one game each year, just about everyone roots for the Eagles.
Boston College plays an annual red bandana game in honor of a hero who graduated from the school in 1999. The tradition has reached beyond the world of college football, with even Patriots coach Bill Belichick showing off a red bandana during a press conference in 2022.
Against Michigan State this season, Boston College players are wearing custom red bandana-themed uniforms that read “For Welles” across the back.
Here’s a closer look at Boston College’s red bandana tradition and the heroic story behind it.
What is the Boston College red bandana tradition?
Boston College plays an annual red bandana game in honor of Welles Crowther, a former student who is credited with saving as many as 18 lives after the Sept. 11th attacks.
The football program first honored Crowther in 2011 and made the tradition permanent in 2014, wearing custom red bandana-themed uniforms that read “For Welles” on the nameplate.
Crowther was in the South Tower when it became the second tower to be struck by a plane on that tragic day. Despite being able to escape and helping lead a group of survivors down the stairs, he climbed back up to the 78th floor to help identify more survivors and guide them to safety.
At one point, Crowther carried an injured woman on his back. Crowther is credited with saving more than a dozen people on that day, despite the South Tower collapsing less than an hour after it was hit.
A red bandana became part of Crowther’s identity when he was young. He wore it under his athletic uniforms and had it with him during the Sept. 11th attacks. Because of the smoke and dust, Crowther put the red bandana over his mouth and nose while rescuing survivors.
Because survivors who were saved by Crowther were able to identify a man with a red bandana, it became clear that Crowther was the man who guided them to safety.
Crowther didn’t survive the attack, and his body wasn’t found until March 2002. Boston College helps keep his memory and his story alive by donning the red bandana each year.
What does “For Welles” mean on Boston College jerseys?
The most unique feature of Boston College’s custom red bandana jerseys this season is the “For Welles” nameplate on the back, replacing players’ last names.
“For Welles” is a reminder that Boston College’s players are playing the game in Crowther’s honor, thanking him for his life-saving service on the day the World Trade Center was attacked.
Crowther has been honored in numerous other ways as well, including an annual Red Bandana Run at Boston College and through Premier Lacrosse League’s Welles Crowther Humanitarian Award.
Who was Welles Crowther?
After graduating from Boston College with an economics degree in 1999, Crowther began working as an equities trader for Sandler O’Neill and Partners on the 104th floor of the South Tower.
Crowther had also been a volunteer firefighter when he was younger and had planned to apply to become a firefighter. He played lacrosse while studying at Boston College.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama honored Crowther in 2014, saying, “They didn’t know his name. They didn’t know where he came from. But they knew their lives had been saved by the man in the red bandana.
“He called for fire extinguishers to fight back the flames. He tended to the wounded. He led those survivors down the stairs to safety, and carried a woman on his shoulders down 17 flights. Then he went back,” Obama continued, speaking at the dedication of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
The museum features one of Crowther’s red bandanas on display, ensuring his story won’t be forgotten.
Boston College red bandana uniforms
Boston College is wearing white uniforms with a red bandana theme on the numbers and the phrase “For Welles” on the back for its game against Michigan State.
Worn with honor. The Red Bandanna uniform. #ForWelles pic.twitter.com/QraCn5gO19
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) September 17, 2024
