24 AQUINAS LANDMARK | SPRING 2023 Alumni News “They called me Frank at first, and now they call me Bo, that’s my real Chinese name.” BoChao Jin was born in Beijing, China, but just before he was set to start eighth grade, his parents sent him to Rochester, New York as an international exchange student. “I met Frank I’d say in eighth grade,” said Tyson. “Eighth grade, first class him and me, we were the two biggest kids,” said Frank. Tyson agreed, “We were the two biggest kids in the grade, so we both stuck out like sore thumbs.” Thanks to his size, the coaches at Bo’s (Frank’s) new school encouraged him to play football for the first time ever. “I lived with four different families and my last one, the one that I stay with the longest, is my high school teammate,” said Frank. From sophomore year until high school graduation, Bo (Frank) lived with his friend and teammate Tyson Foster and his family. “He became more than a friend, he became family. I mean Frank went everywhere. He went on vacation with us, holidays, we went to the mall, he came everywhere with us so he was more of a family member after a couple months,” said Tyson. “We call it brother from another mother,” said Frank. Unfortunately, these two brothers had to split up after graduation. Tyson stayed in New York to play football and Bo (Frank) eventually found his way to Texas walking on at Baylor. “I still text him all the time, call him,” said Frank. So when some exciting news broke, Tyson’s first reaction was, “I gotta call Frank.” “I thought that was fake news or something, I couldn’t believe it,” said Frank. “He goes, ‘you’re joking right?’ I go ‘no, I’m serious, we’re playing each other the first game,’” recalled Tyson. So for the Foster and Jin families, this year’s season opener is special. It’s a true family reunion. “He’ll be part of our family until the day he dies and it’s just been an honor to have him as another brother,” said Tyson. In addition to these brothers meeting on the field, their families will meet in the stands. The Fosters are flying in from New York and Bo’s (Frank’s) parents, they’re here all the way from China to see their son play for the first time in two years. “I’m very excited and because you know, this chance is really rare,” said Frank. Jin ’20 & Foster ’20 Reunite in Baylor vs. UAlbany Season Opener Aquinas alumni BoChao “Frank” Jin ’20 and Tyson Foster ’20 share a special bond that began when they were in middle school. The two became friends, then football teammates, and eventually brothers, when the Fosters became a host family to Frank – an international student from China. Even after graduating in 2020 and attending different colleges, the two remain close. In September, Frank and Tyson reunited on the football field – not as teammates, but as opponents – when the Baylor University Bears hosted the University at Albany Great Danes in the 2022 season opener. The story of the two friends, teammates, and brothers was featured on the Baylor Athletics YouTube Channel in a video called Baylor Football: BoChao Jin Feature. With permission from Baylor Athletics, we are sharing a transcript of that story with you! Frank and Tyson were not the only Li’l Irish alumni representing at the Baylor vs. UAlbany game. Tyler Szalkowski ’21 and Jahlil Johnson ’22 were also playing for the Great Danes!
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