On Tuesday, tragedy struck Oxford High School as a 15-year-old went on a violent rampage. Ethan Crumbley shot and killed four students and injured seven others. One of the victims, 16-year-old Tate Myre, a standout football player with a 3.9 GPA, was killed while trying to disarm the shooter. The brave student has received an outpouring of support nationally and in his community.
100 Percent Fed Up reports – Tate was a wonderful young man who was tremendously hardworking and respectful,” the Oxford Wildcats football team tweeted following his death.
An incredible video was put together by @trey430, a friend of Tate Myre, to honor standout athlete and Oxford High School football team running back #42, Tate Myre:
https://twitter.com/treyt430/status/1466971753750671361?s=20
“He was a tremendous football player with the brightest of futures and was an even better young man off the field as he was on it. We all loved Tate, and he will so very much be missed.”
Last night, the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa met to compete in the Big Ten football championship.
Tate Myre’s family were named the honorary captains for the Big Ten Championship game. In the video below, Tate’s mom and dad, Buck and Sherry, and his two brothers, Trent and Ty, stood on the field with Tate’s football coaches wearing “Oxford Strong” t-shirts and “O” ball caps to honor Tate, a Oxford High School Wildcat standout athlete and star running-back who wore the number “42” on his uniform.
Tate Myre's family and coaches are honorary captains for tonight's coin toss at the Big Ten Championship Game pic.twitter.com/KGNJ9mHbiN
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021
U of M players honored Tate last night by wearing the number 42 on their football jerseys. Before the game, U of M Football shared an #OxfordStrong message of support for the grieving Oxford community on social media. The powerful message honoring football player Tate Myre also included the names of the other three students who the 15-year-old sophomore Ethan Crumbely killed on Tuesday: Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Schilling.
Before the game, U of M Football tweeted an image of a player wearing the patch honoring Tate that read: TM (Tate Myre) 42. Four hearts were under the number 42, signifying the four students killed in the horrible Oxford High School tragedy.
42 for 42. #OxfordStrong pic.twitter.com/NzVuDr65jc
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 5, 2021
U of M coach Jim Harbaugh spoke about Tate and the decision by his team to honor him before the game.
When you read all the accounts and talk to Coach Line at Oxford High School, Tate was a warrior, football player, wrestler, and best athlete. And, you know, the best athlete in the school could have easily made it out of that school and been the first one out. But you just know that he was — while people were running away from that fire, he was running into it. And he’s a hero. I’m glad that — our players got soul too. They got big hearts—incredible guys led by this young man right here.
Harbaugh also spoke about Tate’s parents joining the Wolverines in Indianapolis for the big game.
It was — it was incredible. I mean, I give, you know, Ward — Aidan came to me. I went to Ward. And, you know, they — they put everything together. We just — how could we honor him. How could we honor his memory? You know, it’s a community that needs all of our prayers, every one of them. And we just — yeah, we wanted to offer that up. We wanted to offer our prayers. They’re a community that desperately needs it and offer them up to the one who conquered death and also honor Tate Myre and his bravery, his courage.
Coach Jim Harbaugh with touching words in tribute to Tate Myre:
“Tate was a warrior… he was a hero” #OxfordStrong pic.twitter.com/V0SSxeNf3j
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) December 5, 2021
The Big Ten Championship game was expected to be a competitive game, but instead, it ended up being a blowout with a score of U of M 42 – Iowa 3.
The Athletic NFL writer Chris Burke retweeted a message from the Michigan Football coach Jim Harbaugh: I am so incredibly sorry. I know there are no words. The families and community of Oxford are in need of every prayer that we can possibly offer them. Lifting you all up before the one who conquered death. – Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Head Football Coach #OxfordStrong
He wrote: “Man, they scored 42 points.”
Man, they scored 42 points. https://t.co/XwQgK8SO4E
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) December 5, 2021
The post below was shared on social media:
How amazing is it that…
1. Michigan has the same colors as Oxford High School? 💙💛
2. They were wearing TM #42 Oxford patch with 4 blue hearts in honor of Tate, Madisyn, Hana, & Justin
3. Final score 42 (Tate) – 3 (Madisyn, Hana, & Justin)
4. Game ended at 11:42 (11 victims, #42)
An Oxford Mom wrote on social media: Thank you God for making my daughter feel your presence and restore a little bit of hope back in her heart💙💛 this has been such an unimaginable week and after she pointed this out to me she told me “I’ve never believed in God so much”
There are no coincidences.
U of M scoring a perfect 42 points in last night’s game was God’s way of allowing Tate to send a powerful message to his family, friends, and the entire Oxford community who are reeling over death, know that he’s okay and that he’s in the loving arms of our heavenly Father.
