Utah Utes reveal touching tribute to Ty Jordan, Aaron Lowe
The University of Utah football program on Tuesday announced that it would honor the legacies of both Utes running back Ty Jordan and cornerback Aaron Lowe by retiring the number 22 on Oct. 30 during a matchup with UCLA.
Jordan, the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, died on Dec. 26, 2020 as a result of accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wounds. He was 19 years old. Lowe, his best friend and roommate, tragically passed away just nine months later on Sept. 26, 2021; he was murdered during a shooting at a Salt Lake City house party. Lowe was just 21 years old.
Jordan and Lowe were best friends, and according to the press release, “one was rarely seen without the other during their short time in Salt Lake City.” The two met in high school. Both natives of Mesquite, Texas, Jordan, a three-star running back recruit, and Lowe, a three-star defensive back recruit, were high school teammates as well at West Mesquite High School. They committed to Utah together and later became roommates in their time with the Utes program.
Lowe came to the school wearing the uniform No. 2, while Jordan wore No. 22. However, after Jordan’s death in 2020, Lowe decided to change his number to the No. 22 to honor his late best friend.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham had previously expressed his desire to retire the number, stating that no Utes football player should ever wear the number again.
“No. 22, you won’t see anyone wear No. 22 in this program again, at least as long as I’m the head coach,” Whittingham said after Lowe’s death. “We’d like to see that retired permanently. That’s our wish. We’d like to see it happen.”
In addition to retiring the No. 22, Utah has also established the Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe Memorial Scholarships, created in the late players’ names, which will be awarded to two members of the Utah football program annually. The pair of scholarships, according to the release, will be given based on who best exemplifies the qualities of Jordan and Lowe.
Utah has also produced a video to honor their legacies, narrated by Coach Whittingham, encouraging fans to live the way that Jordan and Lowe did: “to smile — and to be 22-percent better every day.” The video made its debut on the video board during Utah’s Oct. 16 home contest against Arizona State, and it will play during every home game this season between the third and fourth quarters.
Arrest made in murder of Utah’s Aaron Lowe
One week after Lowe was murdered during a shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah, an arrest was made.
“Per release from Salt Lake City PD: Buk M. Buk, 22, has been arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder, Attempted Murder and Felony Discharge of a Firearm in the death of former West Mesquite, Utah football player Aaron Lowe,” Dallas News’ Joseph Hoyt said in a tweet.
Lowe was in his third season with Utah’s football program. He played in 11 games on special teams as a freshman in 2019. Last season, Lowe also appeared in five games, all on special teams. Lowe played in each of Utah’s first three games of this season.
Lowe was the first recipient of the previously mentioned Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, given in honor of his late best friend to the Utah player that best displays Jordan’s qualities.
“Ty made everyone around him better,” Lowe said when Utah announced that he was the inaugural recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship. “He made me better. My friendship with Ty means a lot because he was always pushing me to be my best. He never let me settle for less. I want to make sure his legacy lives on through me.”