Mark Fletcher Jr. has always preached team-first under Mario Cristobal. On college football’s biggest stage against Indiana, the Miami running back went full solo mode, earning respect for the entire program. The touchdown thrilled the crowd. But it was the gesture afterward that erased all the boundaries among the fans.  

“Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. scores & then does “Jesus Loves Us” in sign language 👏,” wrote former Rancho Cucamonga Quakes player Jon Root, sharing a clip of Fletcher’s touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The sign language move instantly screams DK Metcalf energy. In 2023, the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver raced 73 yards to the end zone and, skipping the usual dance, dropped the ball and signed “standing on business.”

Fletcher has openly talked about his faith in Jesus. “Psalms 118:6,” read the caption of his Instagram post from March 31, 2025.

Trailing 17-14 late in the game, Fletcher Jr. stood tall as Miami’s backbone. He punched in two touchdowns, but it was the fourth-quarter score and the heartfelt gesture that followed that had everyone talking. 

A third-quarter nightmare saw Indiana’s Mikail Kamara block a punt, leading to Isaiah Jones’ score. Miami found themselves down 17-7, the stadium hushed, but Fletcher refused to let his team sink.

He powered in a 3-yard touchdown on the very first snap of the fourth quarter, racking up 109 rushing yards in total. Soon after the touchdown score, he rushed towards the camera and performed the sign language. 

Before that, with 11 minutes and six seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Miami running back went 57 yards untouched. Even as Fletcher hit the field to make Miami proud, he carried the hopes of two others, one of them someone who had already passed.

He lost his dad, fondly remembered as the Big Mark, in October 2024 in his sleep at the age of 53. 

“Before every game, he talks (to his) dad,” Fletcher’s mom, Linda, shared. “He texts dad. He knows that the texts will not be returned. But his way to still feel connected.”

Even though nobody could replace this void, the Hurricanes squad stood beside Fletcher in these tough times. In this phase, the Miami running back’s mother, too, has been a rock of support.

She has driven to programs just to root for Fletcher. Her longest drive last season was traveling from Florida to California, which was more than 2700 miles. 

He played for his mom, for his late dad, and for the Hurricanes brotherhood under Mario Cristobal. The gesture spoke volumes, but one man’s magic couldn’t quite push Miami over the championship line.

Miami Hurricanes’ Natty heartbreak

One win shy of a sixth Natty and ending a 24-year drought, Miami fell just short, joining the rest of college football in finding no answer to Indiana. Miami wanted to flex its size and control the trenches. Indiana flipped the script. 

The Hurricanes were blanked for much of the first half, trailing 10-0 with only 69 yards of offense, no third-down conversions, and a missed 50-yarder to show for it. The Hoosiers cashed in early, piecing together a 12-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a 34-yard Nicolas Radicic field goal for the game’s first points.

Miami drove to the Indiana 41, but Carson Beck’s pass intended for Keelan Marion was picked off by Indiana cornerback and Miami Northwestern alum, Jamari Sharpe, with 44 seconds remaining. Even after the loss, Fletcher is not going anywhere.

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“I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team where everybody’s so locked in together,” said Fletcher during the pre-Fiesta Bowl presser.

He has pushed his NFL plans for 2027. No Natty this time. But Miami Hurricanes fans got a moment that mattered, delivered by a Hurricane who’ll be back to chase it again in 2026.