A cascade of tears. So many warm memories. How UNC football said goodbye to Tylee Craft

Mourners shuffled into Sumter High School on Sunday dressed in Carolina blue — a stark contrast from traditional funeral attire.

They gathered to remember and honor Tylee Craft, a former North Carolina wide receiver who died on Oct. 12 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with stage four lung cancer. The celebration of life service gave the North Carolina football team and staff, Craft’s family and the Sumter community a space to mourn together.

First, they said goodbye.

As attendees filed in, many approached an open casket positioned at the front of the gym. Here lay Craft, draped in a Carolina blue quilt.

Craft’s mother, September, pulled her long hair back and leaned down to kiss her son’s forehead one last time, placing a red rose on his chest. Lonnie Galloway, wide receivers coach at UNC, stood before the casket, burying his face in his hands as he quietly wept.

Galloway wiped his tears and assumed his position in the front row next to his wife, Winslow, North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, Mack and Sally Brown, Craft’s best friend and teammate J.J. Jones, as well as family and close friends. Members of the Sumter High School football team, wearing jerseys and jeans, sat in the back, while many more teammates and community members filled the gymnasium bleachers.

‘Until we meet again’

Mandy Blankenship, Craft’s high school English teacher, was the first speaker.

She encouraged the crowd, in Craft’s memory, to “say ‘I love you’ on repeat.” Coach Mack Brown wiped away tears, while many UNC players shifted uncomfortably and fought to keep their emotions in check.

Addressing Craft directly, Blankenship’s voice broke.

“I may have been your teacher in the classroom, but I became a student in life,” she said, later adding, “I will carry the lessons you taught me for the rest of my life until we meet again.”

Two of Craft’s former football coaches, Taiwan Simmons Sr. and Mark Barns, followed and brought brief moments of levity. Simmons joked about trying to make the young wideout play quarterback, while Barns recalled Craft telling an opponent in an uncharacteristically boastful moment, “You can’t cover me.”

But the mood quickly shifted as Barns, his voice quivering, questioned, “Why does it happen to a guy who did everything right?”

September Craft nodded silently as Barns struggled to deliver his closing thoughts, pounding his Gatorade bottle against the podium for emphasis.

“I can promise the family that we loved him,” he said, taking a long pause. “He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

An example of strength

When Galloway spoke, his voice quivered with emotion. He reflected on Craft’s perseverance. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, Craft still showed up to practices, team meetings and workouts with an infectious smile.

“I miss his smile; I miss his heart,” Galloway said, choking back tears. “I’m sorry for crying. We always looked forward to him, every day, coming into that meeting room and just showing an example.”

Many players in the crowd, following their coach, couldn’t hold back their sobs.

“He will always, forever be one of my sons,” Galloway added, turning to September Craft. “So thank you for allowing me to have him for the time that he was here.”

Next was Brown, who greeted the crowd with a warm “Good afternoon!”

But the response was quiet — far too soft for his liking.

“No, that’s not very good,” Brown quipped. “He’d be mad at you.”

After a few tries, the crowd finally responded with suitable enthusiasm.

The coach could continue now. Brown briefly choked up, took a long swig of water and pushed forward, reflecting deeply on Craft’s ability to find joy and purpose — even as cancer ravaged his body.

“Life’s not measured by time; it’s measured by the moments in time,” Brown said. “And he had more in 23 years than most people have in a lifetime.”

Brown thanked Tylee Craft for the lessons he imparted on the team. He shared a long embrace with September Craft as Jones took over at the podium, reminiscing about his friendship with his former teammate.

Laughter broke out when Jones described how Craft’s team at Sumter High destroyed his own squad at Myrtle Beach High. He described hitting the town with Craft — ”September, I’m sorry,” he joked as he recalled their collegiate high jinks — but also spoke ardently about how his “big brother” inspired him.

“I think his message has really been worldwide, honestly,” Jones said. “I don’t know what I would do without him.”

‘He brought the fight to cancer’

John L. Williams, who spoke for the Craft family, thanked the audience for their support and shared joyful memories of Craft’s youth — from racing his mother, a former track athlete, to dancing on tables at family gatherings. He thanked Jones for wearing Craft’s No. 13 jersey and scoring a touchdown against Georgia Tech on Oct. 12 — the same day Craft died. He extended gratitude to Craft’s girlfriend, Olivia Deepak, among others.

After the reflections finished, Patrina Wiley, a co-worker of September Craft, sang “We’ll Be Alright.” As she performed, the crowd joined in, swaying and clapping. When her microphone cut out, the audience carried the tune to the end.

Team chaplain Mitch Mason delivered an emotional sermon to close out the ceremony. He reflected on how Craft’s fight inspired him in his own struggle with an incurable nerve disorder.

“Tylee, he brought the fight to cancer,” Mason said as the crowd erupted in applause.

When the service ended, pallbearers dressed in pink suits wheeled Craft’s casket down the aisle and outside — where it would be lifted into a white hearse and driven to Evergreen Memorial Park to be buried. Brown stood, waved his arm and the team followed Craft’s casket outside in silent respect.

Here, mourners lingered, sharing stories. They laughed and embraced one another. The same concrete path that hours earlier held heavy sorrow was now filled with warmth and memories.

As the conversations faded, Craft’s former teammates shuffled out to the parking lot — many boarding the team bus back to Chapel Hill — bracing for another week of practices, film sessions and lifts.

Moving forward without him won’t be easy. But Craft’s example offers a reminder — they won’t have to do it alone.

This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 6:00 AM.