Nearly every player on the field Friday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., had not yet been born on Sept. 11, 2001.

But Boston College football coach Bill O’Brien won’t let his players forget the sacrifice of one of their own.

The Eagles kicked off their annual Red Bandanna Game in honor of BC lacrosse alumnus Welles Crowther.

Crowther, a volunteer firefighter in Nyack and equities trader, worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower the day of the 9/11 terror attacks and helped over a dozen people escape before running back into the building, where he ultimately died when the building collapsed.

“It’s what BC is all about: giving back, helping people,” O’Brien said on Tuesday ahead of his team’s matchup against Rutgers. “The most incredible example of it is what Welles did that day. It’s about selflessness and the ultimate sacrifice. It’s about teamwork. It’s all those different things that come into play. It’s a really important lesson.

“Not to equate football to what Welles went through on that day, but understanding what it’s all about and what it means for Boston College is very important for these players to understand.”

Crowther was known for his red bandanna, which represented a beacon of hope through the smoke for those he saved.

Since 2014, the Eagles have honored Crowther’s sacrifice once a year by shedding their typical maroon and gold uniforms for red and white paisley.

Rather than the players’ last name on the backs of each jersey, the nameplates read “For Welles.”

It was also a whiteout game for the fans, the stands a sea of white articulated by red bandannas handed out to the crowd.

“It means a lot to BC. It means a lot to BC alums,” said O’Brien, who told ESPN he lost one of his best friends on 9/11. “It means a lot to the fans. It’ll be a great atmosphere.

“I think it’s fitting that we’re playing a team like Rutgers, from New Jersey with a lot of New York City connections. It’s just a tradition that is like no other.”

Friday, the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks, marks the first time the Red Bandanna Game has been played on Sept. 11 and the first time it was played against Rutgers, the only FBS team in the New York metro area.

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano was in his first season with the Scarlet Knights in 2001 and recalled seeing smoke from the practice field across the Hudson.

Unlike opponents in past years, the Scarlet Knights had special uniforms of their own. Each helmet had a No. 37 printed with a pattern of the American flag to honor the 37 Rutgers alumni who perished in the attacks.

The words “never forget” were written in all caps on the side of the pants and the back of the helmet.