College GameDay pays tribute to 3 staffers who were part of NYPD efforts on 9/11
Published:
College GameDay was all about previewing the stacked Week 2 slate on Saturday morning, because that’s why viewers tune in every week to the ever-popular ESPN pregame show.
But there was a special moment during the show that had nothing to do with college football on the field. Instead, it had everything to do with heroism in the greatest form, and it was all about that horrific day a quarter-century ago when America was under attack.
On Friday, the United States marked 25 years since 9/11, and the College GameDay crew wasn’t going to let Saturday morning pass without calling out 3 of its own staff members who happened to be a part of the New York City Police Department’s efforts on Sept. 11, 2001.
“So many heroes that day, and what a privilege it is for us to have three of our teammates who were first responders from the New York City Police Department that day,” said ESPN host Rece Davis, before introducing those 3 brave men to a rousing applause from the crowd gathered behind the set in Austin.
“They risked so much that day to bring unity to the country, to save people, without regard for their own safety,” Davis said.
As a fitting touch, there was a giant American flag unfurled during the tribute among those fans in Austin who took a break from pure football on Saturday morning to show their respect to those ESPN staffers who risked their lives 25 years ago.
Here is the touching tribute:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
