Western Minnesota football squad pays tribute to teammate killed in wrong-way crash
Brady Heiling and his girlfriend, Hallie Helgeson, were killed when they were hit by a wrong-way drunk driver in July. Heiling was a stand-out football player for MACCRAY High School in Clara City, Minnesota. More importantly, he was a stand-out person to those who knew him.
"I imagine it's going to be a lot of emotions tonight. Good, bad, and all the in-between," said Jen Heiling, Brady's mom.
It wasn't that long ago that Jen Heiling watched her son make plays all over the football field. And it didn't matter if his team was up by 30 or down by 30.
"If he knew the outcome was going to be real gritty, it didn't affect him. He was going to play," said Jen Heiling.
"His effort in everything. I don't know how he did it, how he gave 100% in everything he was a part of. But he did," said Cole Christopher, Brady Heiling's head coach at MACCRAY.
Brady Heiling graduated from MACCRAY in 2024 and could have played college football. But he decided to stay closer to home and wait for Hallie Helgeson to graduate from Montevideo High School. When the young couple was tragically killed this summer, friends and family promised to carry on their legacy.
"There's just another step to this game tonight. Especially for Brady," said Eli Marlow, who is now a senior lineman and running back for MACCRAY.
Before Friday's game against rival Canby, MACCRAY players unveiled the number 11 on their helmets, which was Brady Heiling's old number. And they wore shirts that said, "Play Like Brady." A moment of silence was also held for the former linebacker, as his family stood with the team.
"Canby was always our big rival, and Brady always hated but loved playing Canby. There's a lot on the line and it's really nerve-racking," said Marlow.
Win or lose, Brady Heiling still inspires MACCRAY. And on this field, and in the stands, his presence is everywhere.
"I think Brady would be really proud of his community. It's really hard for us to do this without him, just because it's something that he really loved. And we loved watching him do it," said Jen Heiling.
On Saturday, 11 trees will be planted in Brady Heiling's honor around the football stadium. They are calling it "The Wall" to remember the stout defense he and his teammates played.