One player trying out with the New York Jets is living his dad’s dream
The New York Jets have no shortage of connections to 9/11. From their canceled game the following week to the next game against the New England Patriots to their 9/11 opening game in 2023, there are many moments linking team, city, and moment. Jets head coach Robert Saleh credits his brother’s escape from the World Trade Center as the impetus for his career change from financial analyst to football coach.
Now, there’s another touching addition to the legacy. Nearly 23 years after his father Timothy McSweeney, a Jets season ticket holder and FDNY firefighter, lost his life on 9/11, his son Patrick participated in Jets rookie minicamp as a tight end. Patrick was nine months old when his father passed away.
McSweeney spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina before being named a team captain at The Citadel in 2023. He caught 16 balls for 191 yards in 11 games at tight end.
While McSweeney doesn’t have memories of his father, he carried on his dad’s Jets fandom. His favorite players growing up were RB Leon Washington, WR Santonio Holmes, and C Nick Mangold.
McSweeney’s captaincy in 2023 showcases his pride in leadership and his eagerness to carry on his father’s legacy. “Everyone gravitated towards him,” Patrick said of his dad, per the Jets’ official website. “He was always putting other people first. He was very selfless and something that I try to embody of his, it might sound cliché, but when he when he ran into that building, he was attempting to save innocent people. He really didn’t care what those people looked like, what their race or religion was. He was just trying to save them. That’s kind of what I always remember.”
Patrick has a long way to go to get an opportunity with the Jets, as he was merely with them on a trial basis. Still, his story is heartwarming for Jets fans and continues the legacy of New York’s bravest.
