Colts star TY Hilton showed love to Chadwick Boseman at practice Saturday.
The sporting world was left stunned this weekend when Black Panther actor and biopic dominator Chadwick Boseman passed away following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer. The sports connection was immediately obvious — Boseman passed tragically on Jackie Robinson Day across MLB, further honoring the barrier-breaking icon, whom he portrayed in 2013’s 42. And by the time Colts practice began on Saturday, one of Boseman’s biggest fans made sure he brought a proper tribute to the gridiron, too.
Wideout TY Hilton, entering a pressure-filled contract year, was dealt an emotional blow and responded in kind, paying tribute to Boseman’s T’Challa after sprinting down the field and delivering a touchdown catch on Saturday afternoon.
Wakanda truly will live on forever.
Wakanda Forever. pic.twitter.com/CE6kVwLKOV
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 29, 2020
Though it came without the pressure of an in-game situation, Hilton was surely glad too get a no-nonsense chance to pay tribute to his fallen hero, and a real-life super hero. After all, NFL players and professional athletes get lionized all the time for fighting through adversity; Boseman created a lump sum of his iconic characters post-cancer diagnosis, as the disease swelled from Stage III to Stage IV. Almost impossible to fathom.
This isn’t the first time Hilton has shown up to the premises rocking a tribute to Boseman’s most iconic character, either (and it’s a close race for “most iconic,” too, by the way).
Last year, Hilton arrived at camp with a Black Panther-inspired backpack. Clearly, this heroism has informed his NFL journey along the way.
#Colts WR TY Hilton arrives to camp sporting a Wakanda Forever backpack. pic.twitter.com/4lroWUJDL2
— Akeem Glaspie (@THEAkeemGlaspie) July 24, 2019
Boseman became an icon this past decade to many Americans of all creeds, but his death has resonated extremely powerfully with those who realized a black superhero was possible in the mainstream thanks to his performance as the leader of Wakanda.
This won’t be the final tribute we see on the playing field this year, and all of them will be well-earned, as well as the least we can do for a man who inspired so many in such a short time.
Colts: Revisiting Peyton Manning’s 2006 AFC Championship comeback vs Patriots
The Indianapolis Colts went to their first Super Bowl in 2007 against the Chicago Bears thanks to a comeback for the ages against the New England Patriots.