University of Nebraska football super fan Jack Hoffmanwho famously ran for a touchdown during a 2013 Cornhuskers game, died after a 14-year battle with brain cancer.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the news of Jack Hoffman’s passing.” Jack Team Foundation This was confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday, January 15 via Facebook. “Jack passed away after a long battle with brain cancer, a journey that inspired the lives of countless people and left a legacy of hope, strength and resilience. Jack Hoffman, you will always be our hero.”
Hoffman died at his home in Atkinson, Nebraska. According to Team Jack's website, pathology findings after lumpectomy surgery in the summer of 2024 revealed that his tumor had developed into a high-grade glioma. He was 19 years old.
After being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, Jack formed a bond with the returning Huskers Rex Burkhead After his father Andy HoffmanConnect with the star player. Two years later, Nebraska's coaching staff called on him to run a play during the fourth quarter of a spring game. Wearing Burkhead's No. 22 mini jersey, Hoffman – who was 7 years old at the time – was giving his hand from Taylor Martinez He ran 69 yards into the end zone at Memorial Stadium to the cheers of 60,000 people.
A video clip of the game, which became known as “The Run,” has received millions of views youtube, Weeks later, Jack accompanied Burkhead on a visit Barack Obama In the Oval Office. In July 2013, he received an ESPY Award from ESPN for “Best Moment in Sports.”
Jack's moment in the spotlight helped his parents launch their foundation, which has since raised more than $14 million to help pediatric brain cancer research. (Andy died of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2021 at the age of 42.)
I love you, my friend. Tell Jesus we say hello. https://t.co/ipiVTZbZGe
– Rex Burkhead (@RBrex34) January 15, 2025
“Jack Hoffman embodied what it means to be a nerd every day through his courage, struggle and inspiration,” the Nebraska Cornhuskers' official social media account wrote. via X Wednesday. “We are saddened by his loss and send all our love to the Hoffman family.”
Burkhead — now a player with the NFL's Houston Texans — also sent his condolences via X“I love you my friend. Tell Jesus we say hello,” he wrote.
Despite his diagnosis, Jack played on his high school football team as a linebacker before becoming a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2024, studying political science. The school released a statement Wednesday calling the teen “a valued member of our Loper community,” and revealing that Jack made the dean's list last semester.
“Jack has been widely admired throughout Nebraska and beyond for his courageous spirit and dedication to raising awareness about childhood cancer through the Team Jack Foundation,” the school statement said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jack's family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched. His connection to the UNK community was meaningful, and his impact will not be forgotten. We are grateful for the time he shared with us.”
In a 2020 interview with ESPN, Jack spoke about “The Run,” revealing that he didn't realize the moment would be so significant. He remembers not knowing where the end zone was, and recalled his father's words of wisdom that he carried with him years later: “If you don't know it, just run until you reach the fence.”
Jack is survived by his mother, Bree HoffmanAnd two sisters.