spot_img
HomeNewsLate Nebraska Fan Jack Hoffman’s Viral Touchdown Came Before His Father Andy...

Late Nebraska Fan Jack Hoffman’s Viral Touchdown Came Before His Father Andy Demise: Dad And Son Both Battled Brain Cancer

Jack's father wanted to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer, so no other families would have to endure the pain he and Bri had faced.

Jack Hoffman, a passionate supporter of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, has passed away at the age of 19 after a long fight with brain cancer.

He became widely loved when he ran for a touchdown during the team’s 2013 spring game.

Highlights

  • Jack’s father, Andy Hoffman, was also diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020 and passed away from the disease in 2021.
  • When Andy’s health worsened, Jack stepped up to help care for his father after school.
  • Andy reached out to Nebraska, hoping his son could meet his favorite player, running back Rex Burkhead.

According to the executive director of the Team Jack Foundation, Jack died on 15 January at his home in Atkinson, Nebraska.

In October 2024, doctors discovered that his cancer had worsened with new, more aggressive tumors.

Jack was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, which led to the founding of the Team Jack Foundation, dedicated to funding research for pediatric brain cancer.

Andy Hoffman’s Cancer Worsened By Contracting Covid-19 In 2021

Andy, a huge Nebraska football fan who used to dress his son Jack in a Cornhuskers onesie as a baby, had the joy of watching Jack play his freshman season at Atkinson West Holt High School.

Jack played as a lineman on the Atkinson High School football team like his dad in high school.

Tragically, Jack’s father, Andy Hoffman, was also diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020 and passed away from the disease in 2021 at the age of 42.

His diagnosis in July 2020 was hard to comprehend: how could two family members have brain cancer?

Andy, a marathon runner and hard worker, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, a rare and aggressive form of cancer with a survival rate of just about one year.

In a Facebook post last week, Jack’s mother, Bri, expressed her disbelief.

“This is such a horrible disease. Even though Andy was diagnosed seven months ago, we still can’t believe this is happening.”

Bri Hoffman

Andy fought hard, sought multiple medical opinions, and pushed through two strokes to return home from the Mayo Clinic.

His focus was clear: he wanted to raise as much money as possible for Team Jack and spend precious time with Bri, Jack, and his daughters, Ava and Reese.

As Andy’s health worsened, Jack stepped up to help care for his father after school.

In early February 2021, Andy contracted COVID-19. Bri shared on Facebook that he received a monoclonal antibody infusion and recovered quickly, showing no symptoms after about five days.

However, an MRI taken after his recovery revealed that the cancer had spread, and Andy’s condition deteriorated rapidly after that.

Andy And Bri Hoffman Did Everything To Make Jack Capture The Nation’s Hearts With A Viral Touchdown

The Hoffman family’s battle with cancer started when Jack, 5-year-old, was diagnosed with a cancerous glioma.

Doctors initially told them that most of his tumor, which was about the size of a golf ball, couldn’t be removed.

However, after doing a lot of research, Andy found a doctor in Boston who successfully removed more than 90% of it.

Before Jack’s surgery, Andy reached out to Nebraska, hoping his son could meet his favorite player, running back Rex Burkhead.

Andy didn’t expect a response, but Burkhead, who was then with the New England Patriots, eagerly agreed to meet them.

He treated them to lunch, gave them a tour of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, and even called Jack before the surgery to offer support.

A year and a half later, Nebraska’s coaches also decided to include Jack in the 2013 spring game.

The nervous little boy, wearing a helmet too big for him, ran a 69-yard touchdown in front of 60,000 fans while his dad cheered from the sidelines. No one could have predicted how viral that moment would become.

The video of Jack’s run on YouTube gained nearly a million views, and Jack later won an ESPY award and even visited President Barack Obama.

Additional Information

  • The Team Jack Foundation, set up by his father, Andy, has raised over $ 14 million for pediatric brain cancer research.
  • Rex Burkhead took Andy and Jack on a Memorial Stadium in Lincoln tour and called them before Jack’s surgery to offer support.
  • When the Huskers were trailing Ohio State, Burkhead decided to try to fire up a few of his teammates by mentioning the boy he’d just met.
Alisha Shrestha
Alisha Shrestha
Introducing Alisha Shrestha, a dynamic writer and content editor with a finger on the pulse of the fashion industry. With her passion for style and culture, Alisha delivers compelling articles that inspire and inform readers, keeping them up-to-date with the latest trends and developments.
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular