Posted on 01/15/2025 5:02:07 PM PST by Mean Daddy
Jack Hoffman, the young Nebraska football fan who ran for a touchdown during the 2013 Cornhuskers' spring game and became a catalyst for pediatric brain cancer fundraising, died Wednesday after a 14-year battle with cancer, according to the Team Jack Foundation. He was 19.
Hoffman was diagnosed with a cancerous glioma when he was 5. Doctors told the family that most of his golf ball-size tumor could not be removed. But his father, Andy Hoffman, did exhaustive research and found a doctor in Boston who extracted more than 90% of the tumor.
Jack's favorite player was Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead, and before the surgery, Andy reached out to Nebraska hoping his son could meet him. Burkhead had lunch with Hoffman and raced him on the field, and the family forged an enduring friendship with the former NFL back.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
Reminds me of Tyler Trent, the Purdue student, who they showed during the Ohio State game a couple years ago.
Bo Pelini, for all of his temper tantrums, had a soft side. Very inspirational moment.
Really sad this kid had to suffer with cancer for so long
Im so sorry to hear that Jack passed away. I worked with his uncle Mike back in the ‘90s before this all happened. Mike is a former Husker who was a walk on back up nose tackle on the ‘95 national championship team. He was a great kid from small town Nebraska who is a hard worker and who I enjoyed having a beer with back in the day. I feel for that family. Jack’s dad Andy was Mike’s brother. RIP Jack. Your foundation helped save a lot of lives. God Speed.
Sad news. The husker footballers from that day should hold pride in their compassionate gesture to this young warrior.
Makes me think of the “Iowa Wave” to the Childrens Hospital after the 1st Quarter. Best thing in College Football.
Big Ten has a lot of class when it comes to these things.
Glad to hear Iowa still does that. A needed reminder that most people are decent in this world, despite news clippings otherwise.
Indeed.
This from a fellow Husker/Hawkeye fan....
We go to a few Hawkeye games every year. The “wave” is my favorite part!
Not to change the subject, but WHAT were his parents thinking?
I remember that! It was a big deal here!
Very blurry. One of the best things I’ve ever watched. Thank you!
Rest in peace young man………
LOL, I enjoyed watching that much more than Tommie Frazier’s run.
Much, much more fun than Tommy Frazier’s run!
If I had terminal cancer, I think meeting Barack Obama would be pretty far down on my wish list.
Rest In Peace, Jack.
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