The heart-breaking reason why ESPN reporter Marty Smith broke down in tears on live TV
Ahead of the College Football Playoffs championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame on Monday night, ESPN reporter Marty Smith paid an emotional tribute to a former college football player who was tragically killed in the New Orleans terror attack earlier this month.
Tiger Bech, who played as a wide receiver and kick returner for Princeton between 2017 and 2019, was one of 14 victims of the pick-up truck attack on Bourbon Street on New Year's Day. He was 27 years old.
Smith narrated a video package telling Bech's life story, before the the journalist delivered a live segment on the College Game Day broad cast in which he grew evidently emotional as he discussed the former football player.
"In the chaotic after of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack that claimed 14 innocent lives," Smith began, "the Bech family told me they received misinformation that Tiger had saved someone's life that evening.
"They received that information from authorities and other sources.
Advert
"They now know that was inaccurate information.
"They did tell me to please make sure that anything that had to do with Tiger that evening on Bourbon Street was properly represented this evening.
"They also told me the FBI informed them that Tiger never saw that truck coming.
"That, although he did live for a bit longer after he was hit, that hopefully, he did not suffer.
"That does give them some semblance of peace throughout this awful moment for the Bech family.
"I've spent a lot of time listening to Freebird this week my friends, and I will tell you, those last couple of lines of that first stanza "
Smith was referencing two lines of lyrics from the 1973 song Freebird, by American band Lynard Skynard: For I must be traveling on, now/'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.
Smith then paused, overcome with emotion.
"Tiger had to be moving on, there was more he had to see," he continued.
"More College GameDay ahead…"
The Ohio State Buckeyes went on to beat Notre Dame 34-23 to secure a first national championship since 2014.
Topics: NFL, American Football
Ryan Baldi