LAFAYETTE, La. — The 2025 NFL Draft was a major occasion for many aspiring athletes; nearly 300 players were selected to join their respective teams.
Among these athletes was Jack Bech, a Lafayette native and former LSU and TCU wide receiver, who was selected No. 58 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
As inspiring as being drafted is, the suit Bech wore that day carried a deep meaning. He donned a custom suit dedicated to his late brother, Tiger, who tragically passed away during the terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Bech wore the suit with pride, it was designed and tailored by Bespoke Batiste Collection, a Lafayette-based tailoring company.
The suit served as a tribute to the Bech family.
"Nothing meant more to Jack and Tiger than playing ball at the next level," said Harold Batiste, founder of Bespoke Batiste Collection. "Obviously Jack making it to the next level, going out there and being great, wanted to take his brother with him and have those fond memories with him as he went on to play for the next level so that was the foundation of why he really wanted to to include that in the suit."
Creating the one-of-a-kind suit took several months, beginning in January. The suit's lining and vest featured family photos of Tiger Bech, along with embroidered quotes. Personal touches that kept Tiger close to Jack’s heart on one of the most important days of his life.
"The pictures were a huge part of what that foundation was going to look like in building the garment, and he kept telling us over and over that no matter what we did, he wanted Tiger to be close to him," said Amy Jones Kane, managing partner at Bespoke Batiste Collection, tells KATC.
"Jack is the type of person who, in everything he does, he plays football but in that process, he takes along God with him and also takes along his brother," Batiste said.
In a video, Bech expressed his appreciation for the suit.
"I could not have asked for a better suit to be made," Bech said. "The way it fit, the way it looked, the detail in it. Everything about it. From all the pictures, to my brother's quote, to my brother's initials on the cufflinks, it will be a suit I’ll have for the rest of my life."
For the Bech family, this suit is more than just an article of clothing. It will be cherished with love and remembrance and be a symbol of Tiger’s everlasting presence in their lives.
