Jack Hoffman Passes Away After Battling Cancer

Nearly 12 years after capturing hearts in Nebraska and beyond with his spring game touchdown, Jack Hoffman has died at age 19.
Jack Hoffman
Jack Hoffman / @teamjackfoundation on Instagram
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An indelible piece of Husker nation has passed away.

Jack Hoffman, who captured the hearts of college football fans inside and outside of Nebraska in 2013, died Wednesday morning. He was 19 years old.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Atkinson, Neb., posted to Facebook Wednesday afternoon that "God has summoned our brother Jack Hoffman into eternal life in the glories of heaven. Blessed be his memory among us."

At seven years old, Hoffman joined the Huskers for the annual Red-White Spring Game, thanks to a bond he had formed with former Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead. Jack took the field with the offense during the fourth quarter, received a handoff from quarterback Taylor Martinez and ran 69 yards for a touchdown before being celebrated by every Husker in attendance.

The moment caught the nation's attention as well. The play received an ESPY Award, and the youngster was treated to a personal visit with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House.

Hoffman fought through more than a decade of treatment, including multiple brain surgeries. This past October, as a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Jack learned that his tumor had grown significantly. He passed three months later.

Just over four years ago, Jack's father, Andy, also was diagnosed with brain cancer. He passed seven months into his fight.

The Hoffman family began the Team Jack movement in 2011. According to the Team Jack Foundation website, $12,638,227 has been pledged to research since 2013.

The funeral will be Saturday at the Atkinson Community Center.

Jack Hoffman with President Barack Obama.
Jack Hoffman with President Barack Obama. / Pete Souza, The White House

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.