Jack Hoffman dies after battling brain cancer for years

Jan. 15, 2025, 5 p.m. ·

Jack Hoffman Family
Jack Hoffman, second from left, poses with members of his family.

Endeared Husker football fan Jack Hoffman has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 19 years old.

Jack won the hearts of Husker fans in 2013 when he ran for a touchdown during the Spring Game during his fight with brain cancer.

Rex Burkhead, dressed in a blue suit and tied, speaks at the Team Jack Foundation Gala in 2022. A dark curtain and a Team Jack Foundation banner are behind him.
Rex Burkhead talks about Jack Hoffman and his dad, Andy, who passed last year with a rare form of brain cancer. Burkhead attended the 2022 Team Jack Foundation Gala in Lincoln to raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer. (Photo by Aaron Bonderson, Nebraska Public Media News)

A native of Atkinson, a 1,200-person town in northern Nebraska, Hoffman was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010 at the age of 5.

He battled and survived seizures, life-threatening surgery, and chemotherapy.

This led to the creation of the Team Jack Foundation, which confirmed Jack’s passing on Wednesday.

Hoffman became particularly close friends with Husker running back Rex Burkhead, who became an outspoken leader for the foundation.

According to the Team Jack website, the foundation has raised more than $12 million for pediatric brain research.

Gov. Jim Pillen issued a statement expressing what an inspiration Hoffman was.

“Jack inspired millions and won the hearts of people around the world," he said. "The touchdown run in Memorial Stadium is one of the best moments in all of Husker football history and it helped launch an important mission to raise funds and find a cure for pediatric brain cancer. Suzanne and I mourn with the Hoffman’s, and we join Nebraskans in sending prayers to their family.”