Washington State's Luke Falk to Wear Teammate Tyler Hilinski's Number at Senior Bowl
Washington State's Luke Falk will wear Tyler Hilinski's number at the Senior Bowl on Saturday to honor the late sophomore quarterback.
The 21-year-old Hilinski was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound Jan. 16.
But Falk wants to use the Senior Bowl to honor Hilinski's memory.
"We really want Tyler to be remembered and this to be talked about," Falk said. "I mean, when suicide is the leading cause of death of men from 18 to 45 years old, it should be talked about. And we should do something about it. I feel like at times we feel like we can't express our emotions because we're in a masculine sport. And him being a quarterback, people look up to you as a leader, so he felt like he really probably couldn't talk to anybody. You know, we gotta change some of that stuff. We gotta have resources and not have any more stigma on people going through that."
After Hilinski's death, many players and coaches took to social media to remember the quarterback and stressing the importance of suicide awareness.
“All of us that were close to him just kind of go back and ask ourselves, ‘Were there signs? What could we have done?’ ” he said. “I think we all kind of feel a little bit of guilt. I wish I could give him one more hug. I wish I could give him a pat on the butt one more time and let him know that he’s loved.”
The team also participated in a candlelight vigil.&
He said this has really made him see "what's important in life."
