Eagles fan who survived New Orleans truck attack returning to city for Super Bowl

The night out was a first in Louisiana for Ryan Quigley. His friend, Tiger Bech, was a native and wanted to celebrate the new year together with a stroll through the city. The former Princeton football players grabbed a bite at a chicken spot, and made some friends, a couple of young women they chatted up on a walk, a night to celebrate ahead.

Those were the final carefree moments Quigley had that night, before a driver behind the wheel of a speeding pickup upended the 26-year-old suburban Philadelphia native’s life.

“I remember walking toward where the truck was coming, but looking at her, that’s why I didn’t see the truck coming,” Quigley said. “I was looking at her, Tiger was behind me, talking to her friend.

“And then I woke up in the hospital.”

Quigley survived the French Quarter attack, only hearing second-hand accounts of the carnage around him, only later finding out Tiger Bech was killed by a man New Orleans police would call a terrorist.

“That was my first night in New Orleans,” Quigley recalled thinking from his hospital bed, “and it would definitely be my last. I don’t want to go back and explore the city.”

Quigley recounted the horror weeks after the tragedy — and days before the Eagles fan will indeed return to the city for the Super Bowl to root on his favorite team, courtesy of a pair of tickets from the franchise. He posted on social media pictures of him holding boarding passes for the flight to New Orleans and another of himself in an Eagles jersey, his right leg in a brace.

Quigley takes a breath before he rattles off a list of injuries to The Associated Press from that night. There’s a torn ACL. Torn meniscus. A broken nose, a gash on his forehead and facial lacerations. He needed a root canal. Rashes, bruising, a hip flexor. He rehabs two hours most days and spent countless more at doctor’s appointments. Quigley used a wheelchair, and now gets around on crutches.

“I’ve been just a complete mess,” he said.

It’s the quiet moments, when shock and grief set in and thoughts drift to Bech, when Quigley often hurts the most. Rushed to a hospital, Bech hung on long enough for his mother and father to reach his bedside and link other family members on a video call.

“It’s just starting to hit me mentally,” Quigley said. “It’s getting honestly worse, mentally, because the first few weeks, I was so focused on myself physically. I couldn’t sit, lay down or stand without being uncomfortable. It was actually like a distraction mentally for me because I was in so much physical pain.”

But it’s often in those occasions when Quigley is reminded of the promise he made to Bech.

The two Eagles fans — the fanatic Quigley who counts Brian Dawkins as his all-time favorite player had converted Bech into one through weekends tailgating and attending Eagles games — had vowed they would travel together to the Super Bowl the next time the Eagles made it to one.

That time is now, Sunday when the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs — In New Orleans.

Quigley would have scoffed at the thought of returning to New Orleans just five weeks following the truck-ramming attack that killed 14 people and injured dozens more along Bourbon Street had it not been for the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl.

The Eagles heard of his story — some players filmed get-well messages for Quigley during his recovery — and invited him to a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. More than a week later, Quigley, along with Bech’s sister, Ginnie, and a friend, were invited to tour the Eagles’ headquarters

The Eagles gifted Quigley two tickets for the Super Bowl. He had decided, he would travel again to New Orleans to stick to the pact he made with Bech, and for a cause just as powerful.

“We’ll take our power back from this evil man that acted upon us,” Quigley said.

Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said Quigley’s perseverance and loyalty to his late friend were an inspiration.

“We kind of want him to look at New Orleans in a better light,” Graham said. “He said he didn’t want to go to New Orleans no more. But now he’s like, you know, I’ve got to overcome it.

“Hopefully we can make that much more special with a win.”

Quigley lives with Bech’s sister and her fiancé (“just having them in my presence has been a blessing,” he said) as he recovers from his injuries.

Quigley, other members of Bech’s family and their friends are headed to New Orleans, and they’ll be easy to find. The entire group is wearing customized Eagles jerseys with “Bech” and “7” on the back in honor of his Princeton number.

Quigley returns cautiously to New Orleans, grateful of more life to live, and maybe even a reason to truly smile if the Eagles come through Sunday night.

“I have no doubt they’re going to win,” he said, “and win it for Tiger.”