Jack Bech reveals reason behind his jersey number

The story of Las Vegas Raiders second-round rookie Jack Bech is one of overcoming great adversity.

After the wide receiver toiled for years at LSU and TCU, Bech finally got his breakout season in 2024, posting 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns for the Horned Frogs. The joy of ascending the draft boards, however, was soured by the passing of his older brother Martin “Tiger” Bech in the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans. Tiger, a former football standout in his own right at Princeton, earned all-Ivy League honors as a punt returner in 2017 and 2018, and was even considered for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Now, the Bech family legacy in football is Jack’s to uphold, and his choice in jersey number reflects his desire to fulfill that mission.

Bech will always have a link to his older brother through his jersey number.

In a recent interview posted by the NFL’s official X account, Bech said that he had a personal reason as to why he wanted to carry his jersey No. 18 to the NFL with him.

“18 is the number I chose when I got to TCU. The reason I still wear it is because it’s the last season my brother got to see me play football,” Bech said. “It gave me a lot of good energy and good vibe. I just want to continue that and carry his legacy on.”