Jack Hoffman, A Nebraska Cornhuskers A superfan who was battling cancer and captured the nation's attention for his spring game when he was 7 years old has died. He was 19 years old.
Hoffman He died of brain cancer Kaylee Docter, executive director of the Team Jack Foundation, said Wednesday. He battled new, more aggressive tumors late last year.
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Cancer survivor Jack Hoffman before giving the drug-free pledge during halftime of the Nebraska NCAA college football spring game in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Jack Hoffman, the brave name of the Team Jack Foundation. Jack passed away after a long and arduous battle with brain cancer, a journey that inspired the lives of countless people and left a legacy of… Hope, strength and resilience.”
“Through his battle, Jack impacted the lives of everyone, everywhere. From his unforgettable 69-yard touchdown run during Nebraska's spring game that captured the hearts of millions to the countless families who have found solace and support through the work of the Team Jack Foundation, may Jack is no longer with us personally, but his legacy lives on in the work of the Team Jack Foundation, in the lives of the children and families we helped, and in the hope he gave to so many.”
Hoffman was initially diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, and his parents helped launch the foundation to support research efforts to end brain cancer in children.
Hoffman's father, Andy, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020 and died on March 1, 2021. He was 42 years old.
The foundation has raised more than $12.6 million since 2013.
Hoffman went viral during a 2013 spring Nebraska game after the coaching staff called on him to run a play in the fourth quarter. Hoffman ran for 69 yards and was the talk of the sports world for days.
In the midst of it all, he began a friendship with running back Rex Burkhead. The two, along with the Hoffman family, later visited then-President Obama, who presented the young man with a new football and told him he was proud of him.
“I love you, buddy. Tell Jesus we're saying hi,” Burkhead wrote in a post on X.
Jack Hoffman, left, alongside his father Andy Hoffman, accepts the Best Moment award at the ESPY Awards, on July 17, 2013, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. (John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)
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Hoffman played football at Atkinson High School and graduated in May. It was before the law in University of Nebraska Kearney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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