Highlights
- Ja'Kobi Lane, a Ravens rookie wide receiver from Red Mountain High School in Mesa, made his NFL debut Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
- Lane has kept the memory of former teammate Jeremiah Aviles, killed in May 2023, visible in his social media bio and a pre-debut TikTok post.
- Aviles's mother, Olga Lopez, watched her first full football game since her son's death as Lane played Sunday.
- Lane finished with 1 catch for 11 yards and left the game early with a fractured wrist, expected to miss several weeks.
Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane carried more than a playbook into his NFL debut Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, he carried the name of Jeremiah Aviles, the Red Mountain High School teammate he lost three years ago.
Lane and Aviles became friends as teammates on the Red Mountain High School football team in Mesa, bonding over the game and video games. Olga Lopez, Aviles's mother, described the friendship as one built on trust and brotherhood, saying her son valued having someone who was skilled on the field and also someone he could rely on personally.
Aviles was killed in May 2023 while at another teammate's home. Court paperwork from the investigation said a teen was under the influence and handling a gun when it fired and struck Aviles. That teen was charged with manslaughter and acquitted earlier in 2026.
Days before Sunday's opener, Lane posted on TikTok with a photo of himself in Ravens gear alongside a photo with Aviles from their time at Red Mountain. His Instagram bio reads "LONG LIVE JEREMIAH" with a blue heart.
Lopez watched the Ravens-Colts game in full, the first complete football game she had watched since her son's death. "Today was me and Jeremiah watching Ja'Kobi do what he does, and I actually enjoyed it. There's a lightness to today for me. Because the stakes were so high and he's doing amazing and just to see him in his element. I'm just so proud of him," she said.
Lane finished with 1 catch for 11 yards. A touchdown reception was called back on a penalty, and he left the game early. The NFL has since reported he suffered a fractured wrist in the opener and is expected to miss several weeks.
Lane's return date has not been announced.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 14/09/2026 05:09
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 14/09/2026 05:09. Every claim traces to a source.
