Wheaton College football will honor two former players who drowned in Lake Michigan in June with a new annual award and a pregame ceremony at the Saturday, Oct. 3, Homecoming game.

The Shaffer-LoChirco Special Teams Player of the Year Award memorializes Jalen Shaffer and Philip LoChirco, who died June 13 in Port Sheldon Township, Michigan. LoChirco, 24, a defensive lineman and Warrenville resident, began struggling in the water near the Pigeon Lake Channel's south pier after jumping off it, according to the Wheaton Record. Shaffer, 26, a linebacker from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was among those who tried to rescue him. Both went into distress. Ottawa County authorities ruled the deaths accidental drownings.

Head coach Jesse Scott announced the award Oct. 1 through Wheaton College Athletics. Starting after the 2026 season, it will go annually to the team's top special-teams performer.

Shaffer graduated from Wheaton in 2022 after playing four seasons over five years. He returned to Grand Rapids and worked at Bridge Street Ministries, a Christian nonprofit serving urban youth. His father, Joel Shaffer, told FOX17 that his son did not hesitate to jump in after his teammate. "He had a servant heart so he didn't think twice, and he didn't hesitate," Joel Shaffer said, as quoted by the Wheaton Record.

LoChirco graduated from Yorkville High School, where he was a two-year varsity starter who also ran track and field. He played three seasons over four years at Wheaton before graduating in 2023. He then coached football at Wheaton Academy in West Chicago. Among teammates, he was known for his "Chirc-Subs," handmade sandwiches he sold during his last two college years and later used to reward Wheaton Academy players for strong performances.

The pregame ceremony begins at approximately 12:35 p.m. Saturday at McCully Stadium with a moment of silence and a formal introduction of the award. Kickoff against North Park follows at 1 p.m.