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Michigan fans honor Aidan O’Connell, brother with $16 donations to Boilermaker Alliance

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Aidan O’Connell is dealing with a personal tragedy as Purdue prepares for its first-ever B1G Championship Game appearance.

Following an emotional scene in the final moments of the win over Indiana, head coach Jeff Brohm indicated O’Connell was dealing with a lot. O’Connell and his family would later put out a statement via Purdue football revealing the passing of O’Connell’s older brother unexpectedly.

Ahead of Saturday’s game against Michigan, Wolverine fans have stepped up in an awesome manner. According to Boilermaker Alliance, “numerous Michigan fans have issued donations in amounts of $16 to honor O’Connell and his brother:

“Today, we are humbled by the goodwill of numerous Michigan fans who donated $16 to Boilermaker Alliance to honor #16 Aidan O’Connell and his brother,” the statement reads.

“Humanity has triumphed over rivalry and our hearts are full of gratitude.”

According to their bio, Boilermaker Alliance was founded to align charities with the reach of student-athletes. The organization works to empower Purdue athletes to serve and assist charitable organizations.

Regardless of who wins on Saturday, this is an awesome gesture and another reminder of how sports can unify people in moments bigger than football.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.