Malek said he wants Kareem to be remembered as the most-liked guy in the room, everyone’s favorite person. And judging by the turnout at his funeral, he certainly was. Malek was also in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve and said it all changed when Kareem’s brother asked for help to find him.

Kareem Badawi, who graduated from Episcopal in Baton Rouge and went to the University of Alabama was a trusted friend and selfless teammate, people who knew him said.

Badawi was a 2024 graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge and had this fall started at UA, where he pledged to join the Sigma Chi fraternity.