Jack Hoffman, a young cancer patient and Nebraska fan who scored an iconic touchdown during the Cornhuskers’ spring game in 2013, died on Wednesday.
He was 19.
Hoffman was first diagnosed with a cancerous glioma when he was 5, which is a form of cancer that can grow to press on the brain or spinal cord tissue. Doctors initially told the family that most of the tumor found in his brain couldn’t be removed, though remarkably a doctor ended up being able to remove more than 90% of the tumor.
Hoffman, a lifelong Nebraska fan, became friends with then-Cornhuskers running back Rex Burkhead shortly before his surgery. They raced on the field at Memorial Stadium after a lunch together, and then Hoffman got to play during the team’s spring game in 2013.
The then-7-year-old Hoffman ran for a 69-yard touchdown during that game — which prompted a massive celebration in the end zone in an incredible scene. Naturally, the moment exploded online. He won an ESPY later that year for the best moment in sports and met President Barack Obama at the White House.
Hoffman and his family later launched the “Team Jack Foundation,” which has raised more than $14 million for pediatric brain cancer research. Jack’s father, Andy, was also diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020 and he died less than a year later. He was 42.
Hoffman recovered from his initial cancer battle and ended up playing for his high school football team. He was diagnosed with cancer again in 2023, and he underwent a tumor resection surgery in 2024. His tumor had returned and advanced to a rare high-grade glioma.
Despite going through dozens of radiation treatments, Hoffman started his freshman year of college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney last fall and was in their pre-law program.
“Jack was widely known and admired across Nebraska and beyond for his courageous spirit and dedication to raising awareness about childhood cancer through the Team Jack Foundation,” UN-Kearney said in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jack’s family, friends and all those whose lives he touched. Jack’s connection to the UNK community, even in his short time here, was meaningful. His impact on our campus and in the broader community will not be forgotten. We are grateful for the time he shared with us.”
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