The sports world lost an inspirational figure Sunday.
Just days after serving as the honorary captain for the football team he loved the most, 20-year-old Tyler Trent died after a battle with cancer.
Trent, who attended the University of Purdue and was a super fan of the school’s sports teams, became an inspiration to many by the way he fought his battle with courage and grace. Even in his last days, Trent — who suffered from a rare form of bone cancer — was able to attend the Music City Bowl where he served as the Boilermakers’ honorary captain.
In recent months, Trent’s rise to the mainstream included an appearance on “SportsCenter” with Scott Van Pelt.
“I’ll tell you my dream,” Van Pelt told Trent at the end of the interview. “Let’s dream big right now. My dream is this, Tyler: My dream is that you and I work together again, and this is my show, and this is my set, and I’m gonna save you a seat on this set. You tell me when you’re ready, and we’ll be waiting on you, and I promise you that this chair will be waiting for you when the time is right, all right?”
Tuesday night, hours after Trent’s passing and following a jam-packed day of sports, Van Pelt held up to his promise with a touching tribute.
