Jack Hoffman, a Nebraska Cornhuskers superfan battling cancer who captured the attention of the nation for his spring game touchdown run when he was 7 years old, has died. He was 19.
Hoffman died of brain cancer on Wednesday, Team Jack Foundation Executive Director Kylie Dockter said. He had battled new and more aggressive tumors late last year.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Jack Hoffman, the courageous namesake of the Team Jack Foundation. Jack passed away after a long and hard-fought battle with brain cancer, a journey that inspired countless lives and left a legacy of hope, strength, and resilience," the foundation said in a statement on social media.
"Through his battle, Jack touched lives far and wide. From his unforgettable 69-yard touchdown run during the Nebraska Spring Game that captivated the hearts of millions to the countless families who found solace and support through the work of the Team Jack Foundation, his impact will echo for generations. Jack may no longer be with us in person, but his legacy lives on in the work of the Team Jack Foundation, in the lives of the children and families we've helped, and in the hope he gave to so many."
Hoffman was initially diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, and his parents helped launch the foundation to support research efforts to end pediatric brain cancer.
Hoffman’s father, Andy, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020 and died March 1, 2021. He was 42.
The foundation has raised more than $12.6 million since 2013.
Hoffman went viral during Nebraska’s 2013 spring game after the coaching staff invited him to run a play in the fourth quarter. Hoffman ran for a 69-yard touchdown, and he was the talk of the sports world for several days.
In the midst of all of it, he started up a friendship with running back Rex Burkhead. The two, along with Hoffman’s family, later visited then-President Obama, who presented the youngster with a new football and told him he was proud of him.
"Love you buddy. Tell Jesus we say hello," Burkhead wrote in a post on X.
Hoffman played football at Atkinson High School and graduated in May. He was pre-law at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
David Ford, a 22-year-old American amateur making his debut on the European tour, upstaged Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and many of the world's top players at the Dubai Desert Classic to take a share of the first-round clubhouse lead Thursday.
Connor McDavid had two goals and an assist in the Oilers' 5-3 win against the Wild on Wednesday night, passing Jari Kurri for second all time in points in franchise history.
Chelsea are leading the race to sign San Diego Wave centre-back Naomi Girma, while Arsenal and Lyon are also interested in the United States women's national team star, sources have told ESPN.
Arsenal defender Emily Fox has praised the "steadying force" of interim manager Renee Slegers after reigniting confidence in the side following Jonas Eidevall's departure.
Forward Jesús Ferreira and defenders Jalen Neal and John Tolkin have departed the United States men's national team training camp in Ft. Lauderdale and won't be part of the friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica.
UFC star Conor McGregor was sued on Tuesday over sexual assault allegations stemming from a bathroom incident at the Kaseya Center during a Miami Heat NBA Finals game in 2023.
The woman, who is described as a 49-year-old senior vice president at a Wall Street financial firm, alleged that McGregor assaulted her in the bathroom in Miami during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2023.
Her lawyer, James Dunn, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.
"My client has thought long and hard about the decision to pursue this civil case, and is fearful of the effect it may have on her job on Wall Street," Dunn said. "Nonetheless, her main goal in filing this suit is to raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault."
Prosecutors said in October 2023 that McGregor would not face criminal charges over the alleged incident.
Barbara Llanes, McGregor’s lawyer, spoke out about the new lawsuit in a statement to Irish Legal News.
"After a thorough investigation at the time, the State’s Attorney concluded that there was no case to pursue," she said. "Almost two years and at least three lawyers later the plaintiff has a new false story. We are confident that this case too will be dismissed."
The lawsuit alleged that staff and security at the arena "had actual knowledge of the wrongfulness of the conduct" and failed to protect her adequately enough. The suit also accuses staff of overserving McGregor despite having a "chargeable knowledge of a heightened risk of battery being carried out."
McGregor was at the game to promote a pain-relief product. He struck the Heat’s mascot Burnie and attempted to "spray" the character as he was getting taken off the court.
The woman alleged that she was led to a men’s room by a person in McGregor’s entourage, and the assault took place.
A Heat spokesperson told The Associated Press that the team does not comment on litigation.
A Philadelphia Eagles fan’s former employers spoke out against some of the reaction the company received over the man’s incident with a pair of Green Bay Packers fans over the weekend.
Lawrence Hibbert and Dr. Randal Pinkett, the co-founders of the DEI-focused BCT Partners in New Jersey, spoke to TMZ Sports and defended their company over negative social media posts and reviews that were left online in the wake of the incident.
"Some of the posts, some of the comments that have been made about our company are as vile if not more vile than the comments made about (Ryan Caldwell). That’s the point, right?" Pinkett said. "That’s the problem with the culture that we’ve created in which we find ourselves, is that there’s no room for grace. There’s no room, there’s just two extremes, either you’re OK or you are canceled.
"We believe there’s a middle ground that we can recover from mistakes, we can learn and we can grow. We believe that Mr. Caldwell can learn and grow, but we believe that our society can also learn and grow. That we can criticize the behavior, we can condemn the behavior without condemning the individual."
Hibbert lamented the last few days, given that the company is in the process of celebrating an important milestone.
"This has been a really difficult time over the last 24-48 hours," Hibbert said, adding that the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary. "… And when you get social media posts and national media questioning your integrity and how your do work, it hurts. But we also believe we can stand on our track record and we wanted to take these opportunities to affirm that even in the difficult times we’re gonna operate on our value system, doing what we believe is right."
The fan was identified as Ryan Caldwell, and the company announced it had parted ways with him on Tuesday. Pinkett said they knew it was Caldwell from the video.
"I can't say enough about how abhorrent the behavior that we observed was and how upset I was in seeing someone who was at the time associated with our company displaying that kind of behavior," he said.
Caldwell was seen berating a female Packers fan while her fiancé recorded the incident. He called her a "dumb c---" and a "c---" repeatedly.
"While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret," he said. "What began as banter with two Packers fans sitting near me escalated to something more serious, and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose unforgiving words to address one of the fans,
"Ms. Ally Keller. I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, family, and friends, my former employer and colleagues, Packer fans, Eagle fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the City of Philadelphia, and all who were offended. That said, there are two sides to every story.
"The video clip circulating online does not reflect the full context of what transpired, and my actions were not without provocation. I will live with this experience, and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who don’t know me, this incident does not reflect my values or the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am."
