Patriots Lend Team Plane To UVA So Players Could Travel To Funerals

Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots pulled a classy move last week for the Virginia football team.

In the wake of the tragic murder of three UVA football players, Fox News confirmed that Patriots owner Robert Kraft lent New England's team plane to the school so players could travel to all three funerals. Kraft handled all costs associated with the flights.

The plane was spotted at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO) over the weekend.

UVA players travel to funerals as Virginia Tech game canceled

You can say a lot of things about Bob Kraft, but this is an A+ move from the longtime owner. It's not the first time the Patriots have doled out their team plane, either.

Last summer, Kraft loaned one of the team's private planes to fly U.S. military home from Germany for the holiday.

Kraft's planes have also been used to shuttle Providence basketball staff and fans last spring for the NCAA basketball tournament, and to transport COVID-19 vaccines to El Salvador in 2021.

This latest gesture, however, may be the most impactful.

The Patriots lent their team plane to UVA in the wake of last week's tragic shooting. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Three Virginia football players - Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry - were shot and killed two weeks ago while returning from a school field trip.

Christopher Jones Jr., a former UVA football player, was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder. Jones had traveled with the players and other students on a field trip to a Washington DC play.

Upon returning back to the campus via a chartered bus, Jones began firing, striking five people.

In the wake of the tragedy, Virginia canceled it's final two games, including last Saturday's game against Virginia Tech.