Jack Hoffman, who played a huge role in an iconic moment of Nebraska football, died from cancer at the age of 19. He was in his freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. His relationship with NU started in 2012 when he was fighting pediatric brain cancer. It was inspired by former Husker running back Rex Burkhead, who received a letter from Hoffman and his family when Burkhead was injured.
Who was Jack Hoffman?
Jack Hoffman was a Nebraska boy who had been diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer and had been a football player for his local high school. Hoffman died from a diffuse high-grade neuroepithelial tumor on January, 15, 2025.
In 2012, in between his first and second brain surgery, Jack Hoffman met Rex Burkhead, then an offensive player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Shortly thereafter, Jack became one with the team. On April 6, 2013, at the annual Nebraska spring game, 7-year-old Hoffman entered the game in the fourth quarter and ran for a 69 yards (63 m) touchdown which brought him into national and international prominence.
He then met with President Barack Obama, received the Best Moment ESPY Award for 2013, and the United States Senate passed a resolution honoring him for his efforts in calling attention to pediatric brain cancer. He formed the Team Jack Foundation, through which his parents, Andy and Bri Hoffman, fundraise for pediatric brain research.
On August 5, 2014, Hoffman learned that his tumor had increased in size since his MRI in April of 2014. His father told him that in April there was a spot on his scan that was suspicious, but that they had been hoping it was nothing; probable options were chemotherapy or surgery.
After consulting with Hoffman’s medical team, in mid-August 2014, his parents decided to pursue a clinical trial in Boston involving a genetic therapy approach, in part because the cancer has spread to the brain stem, making surgery difficult. After the 13-month clinical trial, Hoffman had been off cancer treatment since 2015.
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The Hoffman family subsequently established the Team Jack Foundation, which as of December 2020 raised roughly $8 million for pediatric brain cancer research.
