Super Bowl LIX: First Responders Lauded, New Orleans Attack Victims Remembered

By Theresa Braine

Source New York Daily News

The victims of the New Year terror attacks on Bourbon Street were remembered on and off the Super Bowl 59 field Sunday, with a moment of silence and a performance by Lady Gaga filmed at the site of the New Orleans attack.

First responders on the Super Bowl field held framed photos of the 14 people who were killed when a man identifying with the Islamic State and driving a truck barreled into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers in the early hours of Jan. 1. More than 30 others were injured. The suspect died in a shootout with responding police.

In a video aired before the the start of the Super Bowl, Lady Gaga gave a moving performance of “Hold My Hand,” her hit song from “Top Gun: Maverick.” Michael Strahan and Tom Brady, along with New Orleans’ Saints owner Gayle Benson and others, introduced the video, leading a solemn crowd down the street where Gaga sat at a piano.

At the game, former New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan introduced first responders and victims’ family members.

“On January first, our cherished French Quarter experienced an attack that shook us to the core,” began Jordan, an eight-time pro bowl selection with the Saints. “In the face of unspeakable loss, we mourn 14 lives that were taken too soon. Tonight we come together not only to remember but to celebrate their lives and honor the brave heroes who rushed toward danger, embodying selflessness and courage.”

He then flagged the first responders, who came from the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans emergency services, New Orleans Fire Department, Louisiana Department of Corrections, and Louisiana State Police, who all on hand that night.

Also on the field were honorary Super Bowl LIX captains—the three siblings of Tiger Bech, 27, and the parents of Matthew Tenedorio, who was 25. Bech had played wide receiver at Princeton University, and Tenedorio worked at the Superdome, and was scheduled to be on deck for the Super Bowl.

“Also joining us here tonight and watching from the stands are many other family members of the victims,” Jordan said.

There was also a shout-out to victims of recent disasters around the nation.

“We are a resilient community. And we are filled with gratitude for the incredible support we have received from around the world,” Jordan said. “Tonight we also extend our hearts to those impacted by the floods in North Carolina, the fires in California, and the families grieving the loss of loved ones in the tragic plane crashes in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.”

With News Wire Services

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