Washington State honors Tyler Hilinski with parents in attendance on emotional night
This Saturday was supposed to be Tyler Hilinski’s senior night.
With his parents Mark and Kym in attendance, the Washington State Cougars made it his night even though he’s gone.
The brother of South Carolina starting quarterback Ryan Hilinski was honored on what should have been his senior night. Instead of introductions, the whole Washington State senior class and coach Mike Leach came out together to greet the Hilinski parents. Tyler Hilinski committed suicide in January 2018.
Fans in the stadium also raised three fingers in honor of Tyler Hilinski’s No. 3.
His death shook the college football world and left his family asking the hardest question: why? They now a foundation, Hilinski’s Hope, dedicated to raising awareness for mental health issues for student-athletes. They’ve moved to Columbia to be closer to Ryan, who stepped into the Gamecocks’ lineup in Week 2 and has started the past 10 games.
The parents were also presented with the 2018 Washington State flag that travels to ESPN’s College Gameday each week. That flag had been dedicated to Tyler Hilinski.
The game that followed was a wild affair. The Cougars came back from down 11 in the final five minutes, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 2 seconds left in the 54-53 win. It was a hint reminiscent of Tyler Hilinski’s biggest moment in crimson, a wild overtime game with Boise.
And after the game, Washington State players credited Tyler Hilinski with guiding them through the night.
This story was originally published November 24, 2019 at 10:06 AM.
