Raiders Draft TCU’s Jack Bech: A Touchdown, A Tragedy, and a Legacy

The Las Vegas Raiders made headlines with their second-round pick, selecting TCU wide receiver Jack Bech at number 58. But this wasn’t just another draft moment—it was loaded with emotion, heartache, and resilience.

Jack Bech recently stole the show as Senior Bowl MVP, snagging a game-winning touchdown as the clock ran out. What most didn’t see behind that highlight was the pain he was carrying: just a month earlier, his older brother Tiger Bech was killed in a terror attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, one of 14 victims lost in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Tiger Bech wasn’t just a big brother—he was a role model, a Princeton grad, and a standout kick returner who caught 53 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns during his college days. After earning his degree in 2021, he dove into the finance world as a stockbroker in New York, but had come home to Louisiana for the holidays when tragedy struck.

Jack’s Senior Bowl heroics carried a different kind of weight. After the game, he credited his brother and his faith for the strength to play: "My brother has some wings on me. He gave them to me, and he let that all take place. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Tiger, nothing else but them. They're the reason I did what I did today. I attribute it all to them."

Jack admitted that, if given the choice, he’d trade every accolade just to hug his brother again. "If I came here, had the worst week ever, ruin my draft stock, but that means I could hug my brother right now, I would take that. But, on the flip side of that, I don't think I could have had the week that I had if all that wouldn't have happened. His wings were on my side. Him and Jesus Christ are the reasons I was able to do all of this."

Draft night brought more tears and embraces, as cameras caught Bech and his family holding each other tight. He spoke of Tiger’s influence: "All the big brother does in life is want to see his little brother succeed. He's been my role model my whole life, the person I looked up to, the person I wanted to be. He was the best big brother I could ever ask for. My whole goal in the rest of my life is to live his legacy on."

Jack Bech now joins a Raiders receiver room featuring Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and fellow rookie Ashton Jeanty. Last season at TCU, Bech hauled in 62 catches for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns. The numbers are impressive, but it’s the story behind the stats that really hits home. Sometimes, a draft pick is about way more than football.