‘He knows we’ve got him’: Hurricanes rally around Mark Fletcher Jr. as he mourns dad’s death
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran into the end zone, got down on one knee and lifted his right pointer finger toward the sky.
“Just a shout out to my dad, paying him respect,” Fletcher said. “It’s been a long time since he’d seen Hard Rock this packed. I know he would have loved this, this energy out here, all the seats was taken up. I know he would have loved it. So, I just did this for him.”
The touchdown run — the first score of the Miami Hurricanes’ 36-14 win over in-state rival Florida State on Saturday in front of a sold-out home crowd — was an emotional moment that capped an emotional week for Fletcher.
Fletcher, a sophomore running back for the Hurricanes and a Plantation American Heritage alumnus, just two days earlier found out during the team’s practice on Thursday that his dad, Mark Fletcher Sr., had died.
Fletcher Sr. was 53.
“That’s as hard as it gets,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said postgame. “We see Big Mark all the time. He’s always at practice. It’s kind of neat if you’re a local player. Parents, they find their way to practice to get away from their bosses for a little bit and come out and get to see their son. It’s one of the greatest things in the world. I remember seeing my parents — may they rest in peace and — and that’s about as difficult as the thing I’ve seen. And Mark Jr. is about as good of a human being, competitor, teammate, brother as you could imagine. It was felt by the entire organization. Everybody knows him. He’s got the best seat in the house going forward, looking from above. I know he’s super proud of Mark.”
The Hurricanes (8-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who moved up one spot to No. 5 in the AP top 25 poll after the win, are proud of Fletcher as well. Quarterback Cam Ward said the team gave Fletcher the game ball after the win on Saturday.
“It meant everything to me,” Fletcher said. “It just shows the brotherhood we have. I just played a good game, and I’m not even the one who had all the greatest stats, but they just showed that to me, to show how much they supported me. I’m nothing but appreciative.”
Cristobal said when he talked with Fletcher on Thursday after he found out the news, Fletcher “wanted to be around his brothers and his team.” He wanted to do right by his team.
“You trust that guy with your life because he does everything the right way regardless of the situation and circumstance,” Cristobal said. “And then just looking at him and just hearing him out, this was what he wanted. And on top of that, just as importantly it’s what he deserves.”
And his teammates did everything they could to rally around him.
“Just being there for him,” Ward said. “Even when he found out the news, he stayed there for practice. That let us know right there what type of person he is for us as a team and what type of human he is. We’ve got Mark each and every day. We know it’s gonna be hard for him, but he knows we’ve got him. We all sent him texts. We’re there for him. We’re a phone call away. We just pray for him and his family as they get through this. There are going to be better days ahead for Mark.”
Added running back Damien Martinez: “Mark is one of the brightest guys that I’ve ever been around. You don’t want to wish it on no man. We’re here for him, and he’s here for us every day. This is tough. We just stick through everything together. He knows it’s a brotherhood. He knows we’re here for him. So just keep playing hard.”
Fletcher individually and the Hurricanes as a whole played hard on Saturday en route to their first win over FSU (1-7, 1-6 ACC) since the 2020 season. He ran for 71 yards and the touchdown on 15 carries. He converted a fourth-and-1 midway through Miami’s season-long 18-play drive at the end of the first half that set up a 20-yard Andres Borregales field goal to put the Hurricanes up 17-7 at halftime.
It’s Fletcher’s third consecutive game with at least 70 rushing yards after tallying just 142 total rushing yards through the Hurricanes’ first five games.
All while playing with a heavy heart.
“I’m staying strong,” Fletcher said. “I know my dad wanted me to come out here and ball out for him. It’s just extra motivation. I love that man so much. He’s going to be so missed. But I’ve got to keep his legacy living on. I’m so happy I got his name. I’m so happy I got his name.”
Added Cristobal: “If any of us was in that situation, can you imagine being able to do that? Just a unique, elite, off-the-charts human being just made of the right stuff, and a true credit to his his parents. He was raised a certain way. That guy’s as resilient as it gets.”
Martinez built off Fletcher’s strong start and finished with a season-high 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
It was a needed dominant effort on the ground in a rare off night for Ward, who didn’t throw a touchdown pass (but did catch one) and failed to get over 300 passing yards for the first time this season.
“We pounded the ball well,” Cristobal said. “We ran the ball well.”
And above all, the game gave Fletcher some solace when he needed it.
“He’s one of the best teammates that you can ask for as a player on his team,” Ward said. “He does all the little things. He never takes days off. He deserves it, and everything that’s going to come his way down the future five and 10 years from now, when he gets his chance to play in the league. He deserves everything.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2024 at 12:15 AM.
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