Utah has officially renamed its spring game the 22 Forever Game in honor of late players Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, who both wore No. 22 for the Utes, the school announced on Wednesday.
The game, which will be held on April 22, also serves as a fundraiser for the school’s 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship in honor of both players.
Lowe was a sophomore cornerback who was killed in a shooting at a party in Salt Lake City on Sept. 26, 2021. Jordan, a running back, died on Christmas Day in 2020, the result of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. The two were high school teammates in Mesquite, Texas, and Lowe switched to No. 22 to honor Jordan after his death. Utah retired the number in 2021.
𝟮𝟮 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘
We are proud to announce our annual spring game is now the 22 Forever Game, with proceeds going to the 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship. #22Forever ♥️♥️https://t.co/TRGZhc3eGd pic.twitter.com/TXK0sbBmtY
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) March 22, 2023
“22 Forever means that we let Ty and Aaron’s legacy live on by how we live our lives,” linebacker Karene Reid said. “It means that we don’t take this life we have for granted. It is beyond football. It is about family and being there for the ones we love. ’22 percent’ is also a commitment to being that much better in everything we are a part of. It is about showing gratitude in the way that we work.”
The school also started a new tradition between the third and fourth quarter of Utes games called the “Moment of Loudness” to celebrate the two late players, saying the players were more deserving of cheers than silence. The tradition has continued on the road in the Pac-12 title game and the Rose Bowl in the past two seasons.
At Lowe’s memorial service in 2021, Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah said he planned to try to be 22 percent better in all facets of his life to try to channel Lowe’s positivity and optimism, and the team embraced the slogan.
“Aaron and Ty lived life with a smile, even when it may have been painful to do so,” defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said. “Their legacy is an example of competitive excellence filled with an immense amount of gratitude for the simple things, and because of them, I fight to improve every day.”