Rutgers unveils commemorative for 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

Rutgers will take the field Friday night, Sept. 11, on the exact 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Fittingly, the Scarlet Knights will do so in special uniforms honoring the 37 RU alums who lost their lives that day.

Rutgers will wear its traditional scarlet tops and pants, with Never Forget striped down the pants. The Knights will wear white helmets with 37 in red, white and blue decals. 

The group is honored with a plaque on the RU campus; the youngest of the 37 was Jayceryll M. de Chavez, a 1999 graduate, and the eldest was Donald A. Peterson, from the class of 1967. 

The game takes place against Boston College, who will wear their Red Bandana helmets on Friday. The Eagles have annually honored BC grad Welles Crowther since 2014 by wearing uniforms trimmed by his signature garment. Crowther was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and initially survived the attack, but lost his life in leading others to safety. Witnesses estimate Crowther saved as many as 18 lives that day, but his own body was not discovered until March 2002.

ESPN produced this feature on Crowther, which some critics have called the best thing the network has ever produced.

9/11 tributes will dot the country throughout the upcoming weekend, but it's fitting that the two FBS schools closest to the attacks will play each other on the actual 25th anniversary. ESPN2 will air the game, which kicks at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.