By admin 
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The first full Sunday of the NFL season had its share of upsets, comebacks, and storylines.
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Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane made his NFL debut on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
“Definitely behind him a thousand percent,” said Olga Lopez.
Lopez’s son, Jeremiah Aviles, and Lane became friends when they were teammates on the football team at Red Mountain High School in Mesa.
The friendship grew as the two bonded over football and video games.
“I feel like Jeremiah connected with him on that because he has a brother and just understanding the need for brotherhood. And so it meant that, hey, I got someone that that has my back that is not only skilled on the field, but, you know, someone that I can go to and can come to me and is a trusted source. And so that’s how I see it on my son’s end,” said Lopez.
Just two years after meeting, Aviles was killed while at another teammate’s home in May 2023. Court paperwork from the time of 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.
At a vigil for Aviles days after his death, Lane spoke with Arizona’s Family about his friend.
“He will forever live on in our memories and we’ll forever cherish those times we’ve had with him,” Lane said in 2023.
Lopez knew the impact Lane had on her son and said shortly after her son’s death, she learned of the impact he had on Ja’Kobi.
Days before his NFL debut, Lane posted on TikTok, sharing a photo of himself in Ravens gear and a photo with Jeremiah from their days at Red Mountain HS. His Instagram bio says “LONG LIVE JEREMIAH” with a blue heart.
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“They had each other in each other’s lives for a short time, two years could seem like a short time. But to know that he still honors him, that he thinks about him,” Lopez says, “It means a lot.”
For the first time since Jeremiah’s death, Lopez says she watched an entire football game on Sunday as the Ravens faced the Colts.
Lane finished his first NFL game with 1 catch for 11 yards, although he did have a touchdown catch called back after a penalty and later left the game early due to injury.
“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,” said Lopez.
The NFL is reporting that Lane suffered a fractured wrist in the season opener and is expected to miss several weeks.
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