The Man In the Red Bandana - As Told By Welles Crowther's Sisters

If you've been following me and Barstool for a while you know how important The Man In The Red Bandana is around here. We post about him every year. And if you somehow dont know the story, its the tale of Welles Crowther, a 24 yr old lax bro BC Grad who was working on the 104th floor the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. He made his way down the the 78th floor sky lobby of the South Tower and proceeded to make several trips up and down to the 61st floor. He saved EIGHTEEN PEOPLE that day, the only people to survive the the crash zone that United Airlines Flight 175 tore to shreds. His body was found in March of 2002, in the bottom floor lobby of the south tower. Heartbreaking to learn that he was only feet away from safety. But Welles never planned on just walking out that door anyway. He had linked up with other members of the FDNY and was ONCE AGAIN headed back up to try to save people with the Jaws of Life. And he did it all while wearing his patented Red Bandana, which allowed the 18 survivors to piece together their stories and realize they were all rescued by the same Guardian Angel, Welles Crowther.

And so every year I post this:

And as its circulated over the years, it made its way to the Crowther family. Specifically his two sisters, Honor and Paige. Their mother, Allison, has taken the lead on the philanthropic efforts and spreading the sotry and memory of Welles, so this was the first time that the Crowther sisters did any formal media since that day 24 years ago. When I say it was my honor to sit down with them for this podcast, I mean its one of the hallmark moments for me in my life and my career. Honor and Paige were incredible. The stories they told and the picture they painted of Welles was tremendous. Hearing about what their family went through and the positivity they spread and good they were able to do in the wake of such a traumatic loss is as much of a battle as what Welles went through that day. I guess thats just how the Crowther's roll. Their mom, Allison...their father, Jeff (RIP)... the two sisters, and I'm sure their extended family... just had goodness and generosity and selflessness instilled in them as people. Their brother displayed those traits in the face of fatal tragedy, while the rest of the family exhibited strength and resolve over the last 24 years. I can honeslty say the Crowthers are the most impressive family I've ever had the privilege of knowing. I implore you to watch this interview. It will make you think. It will inspire hope. And maybe bring about some change.

The story of Welles Crowther is about as impactful and dramatic as the human mind can grasp. When you combine the character of Welles, with the meaning of the bandana, and the inspirational power of the first hand accounts of what he did, you can't help but believe in some other worldly type of divinity. Almost as if Welles Crowther and his tragic but heroic demise was fate. He was literally in the process of quitting his job in finance and applying to finally become an official firefighter. As a volunteer of Empire Hook & Ladder Company No. 1, he planned on making it his career. They found his FDNY application 2/3 of the way filled out after his death. It was his calling. And just as he was pivoting to dedicate his life to helping others, the universe put him to the test. One that he passed with flying colors. Its tidbits like that, along with all the stories of what type of brother, son, friend, and teammate he was... the tales of how he used to play on a fire truck as a little kid... some of the religious experiences he had...all of his words and actions...it all seemed like every day of his life was preparing him for that moment on September 11th. 

This depiction of Welles and the realization that he was seemingly destined to be in that building that makes me believe in some sort of cosmic blueprint, but the lore and impact of the Red Bandana is what really makes me believe the Welles Crowther saga was a part of a bigger plan. The story behind that cloth, and the symbol that it became. On Labor Day 2001, mere days before the attacks, he told his mother "I'm going to change the world with this bandana." And it was only because of that bandana that Welles tied around his face that the 18 survivors were able to find him and follow him to safety. It was because of that bandana that they were all able to retroactively piece together that it was 1 man who rescued all of them. I mean talk about calling your shot! The bandana did, in fact, end up changing the world. In a literal sense - the 18 lives he saved and the children that those people had and their children's children...Welles and that bandana changed generations of people. And in a figurative sense, the Red Bandana has become a heroic symbol of selflessness and sacrifice that has comforted and inspired millions upon millions of people.

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So I, for one, dont know if I'm religious anymore and I can't tell you about scripture or mass, but I know this - Welles Crowther was a single man who lived an altruistic life of helping and caring for others, who ultimately sacrificed himself for lives of strangers, and in his death has become a symbol of love, humility and service. If you don't know what to believe in these days...just believe in Welles Crowther. Believe in the Crowther family. Believe in the Red Bandana. Its like every other foundation for every major religion known to man. 

While the Man In The Red Bandana is about remembering the attacks on 2001 and looking back, I hope this conversation impacts the future. Because theres an extra present day wrinkle to this sit down. A sad but important one. Honor, Paige and I recorded this the afternoon of September 10th. 2025. We were probably half way through our conversation when Charlie Kirk was murdered. And we wrapped up the podcast talking about how the last time the country truly felt united was in the wake of 9/11. How ugly things have gotten in America. How divided and hateful we have become. We concluded saying that what happened on that day to Welles and the other 3,000 or so victims was a tragedy, but it became a catalyst for a sense of togetherness. So to see the murder of Charlie Kirk and the reaction it spawned on the internet, now on the anniversary of 9/11, made me feel hopeless. It made me feel like we're past the point of no return. Like there's nothing we can do to help, nothing we can do to fix this. But then I think about Welles Crowther. And I dont just mean I think about him in this vague, inspirational way. I mean I REALLY think about him. I picture him on the 78th floor of the South Tower. Smoke filling his lungs as he ties up his bandana. Ears ringing from the explosion. Heat from the flames causing the sweat on his brow. Eyes stinging while he tries to look for survivors. Voice trembling while he left a voicemail for his mother, trying to bravely and confidently tell her "I'm ok" while deep down knowing, he wasnt. Trying to keep his head on straight and use his smarts to try to navigate a warzone 1,000 feet in this sky. Summoning every bit of his strength to run up and down 20 stories of a skyscraper while carrying people over his shoulders. And I think about how he felt staring that adversity in the face. That is a situation where you give up hope and accept your fate. Yet Welles accepted that challenge instead. Despite overwhelming odds stacked against him, he persevered. In this country's darkest hour he answered the bell, put others before himself, and saved lives. And his family - despite their grief and loss and what I would imagine was an overwhelming desire to give up on humanity - they, too, accepted their challenge. The last two and a half decades, they have risen above with class and grace to provide hope and inspiration for the world. 

So when I want to just say "It is what it is! Nothing we can do!" I think about them. If Welles Crowther could save 18 lives and Honor & Paige and their family can overcome the murder of their brother, then we have no excuses. When the task at hand is "dont murder people who you disagree with" or "dont use the internet as a tool to inspire hate and violence," I personally think thats a call that we can all answer. The old "be the change you want to see" speech. It feels corny, but its true. And the challege  feels impossible. Its not. It feels thankless, and it is. But its really not a lot to ask in the grand scheme of things. If everyone just showed a standard amount of civility - in person, online, and everywhere in between - this country would be a better place. And if all of us could show just 1/1,000,000th the courage and grace that Welles, Honor and Paige have shown these last 24 years, the world would be a better place. 

So the same way I just explained how I was actually thinking about the sights and sounds that Welles faced on 9/11, I'm challenging you to actually try this. Put in a genuine effort to be better. Don't be divisive on the internet. Make an active choice to not engage is some of the social media rage. Dont contribute to harassment or bullying. Don't let politics corrupt you. Learn to separate disagreement and hate. Learn to tolerate others opinons, no matter how much you disagree. Learn to carry conflicting thoughts in your head simultaneously. Make these changes. Make these tiny sacrifices. Compared to the sacrifice Welles Crowther made, its not asking a lot. 

PS - the girls told me they did this interview for the same reason they always talk about Welles - to preserve his memory and inspire hope and change. To turn a negative into a positive. They werent here for promotion. This wasn't a business sit down. But all that said I also know there are a couple events and causes near and dear to their hearts that I believe deserves attention. So if you want to support the Crowther family and get involved with the impact of Welles, heres a few things:

1) The Red Bandana 5k - a race that anybody can join either in Boston, or remotely at home. October 22nd. Register here

2) The Red Bandana Football Game - Back in 2011 students at UCF were inspired by Welles and wore red bandanas when they played BC. Now over the last decade+ its becoming a bucket list sporting event. Soemthing everyone should see in their lifetime. This years game is November 8th vs SMU. Get tickets here

3) Honor's children's book - the Man in the Red Bandana. Explaining 9/11 to children is an exceedinly diffiuclt task for teachers and parents, so Honor made a book about her brother to convey the importance of that day and her brother's heroics. BUY HERE.

4) The Welles Crowther Charitable Trust - Make a donation here