25 Years Later: Steel Tahn Sports Remembers September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 — September 11, 2026

Twenty-five years ago, our country experienced a day that forever changed America.

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. Countless families were changed forever, and an entire generation remembers exactly where they were when they learned what was happening.

Here in Western Pennsylvania, September 11 carries an especially close connection. Flight 93 went down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers. Their courage prevented the plane from reaching its intended target and became one of the defining acts of heroism from that terrible day.

September 11 is one of those days.

In the weeks following the attacks, sports eventually returned. Stadiums filled again. The national anthem carried a different weight. American flags filled the stands. Players, coaches and fans stood together, and for a few hours at a time, sports gave people a place to gather, grieve and begin finding a sense of normalcy again.

It was a reminder of something sports have always done at their best: bring people together.

We Remember

Today, 25 years later, we remember the innocent people who went to work, boarded airplanes and started an ordinary Tuesday morning without knowing what was ahead.

We remember the firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders who ran toward danger while others were running away.

We remember the passengers and crew of Flight 93 whose bravery will forever be part of Pennsylvania's history.

We remember the members of our military and their families whose lives were changed by the years that followed.

And we remember the families who have carried the loss of September 11 for the past quarter-century.

Never Forget

Twenty-five years is a long time. An entire generation has now grown up knowing September 11 only through photographs, videos, classrooms and stories told by those who lived through it.

That makes remembering even more important.

We tell the stories. We honor the heroes. We remember the lives that were lost. And we make sure future generations understand not only the tragedy of that day, but also the courage, sacrifice and unity that followed.

We pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to honor the heroes whose courage will never be forgotten.

25 years later, we remember.

We will never forget. 🇺🇸