The "Man In The Red Bandana" continues to inspire others. Boston College is doing its part to make sure that doesn't change any time soon, to make sure that no one forgets the heroism and sacrifice of Welles Crowther.
Crowther, a former BC lacrosse player and volunteer firefighter, lost his life while saving others during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. An equities trader on the 104th floor of the south tower, he is credited with helping dozens of people to safety amid the flames and smoke.
"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," President Barack Obama said at the dedication of the 9/11 Museum, singling out Crowther's heroism.
It was a survivor's reference to his signature red bandana, an item the 24-year-old carried with him always and had worn under his lacrosse helmet at BC, that eventually connected Crowther's family to some of the people he saved.
"A symbol of absolutely the most pure form of compassion and love, no greater love hath one than to lay down his life for his fellow man," is how Welles' father later described his son's bandana to ESPN. "It's all right here in this red bandana."
Just days after the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Boston College is paying tribute to Crowther's memory by wearing special red bandana gear against No. 9 USC when the teams play at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Crowther's family will be on hand for the nationally-televised game on Saturday and 6,000 red bandanas will be handed out to fans, according to Boston College.
For more on Crowther's heroism, sacrifice and his signature bandana, below is a poignant segment by ESPN's "Outside The Lines" from 2011.