Jack Hoffman, 7-Year-Old Cancer Patient Scores Touchdown In Nebraska Cornhuskers Spring Game [Video]

Jack Hoffman might be just seven years old, but there wasn’t a Nebraska Cornhusker who had a bigger day at the Nebraska Spring Game. Despite the fact that the team is looking to prepare for its third season in the Big Ten there was still plenty of time for the team to do something nice for one of its biggest fans.

Diagnosed with Cancer in 2011 and currently on a break from his chemo treatment, the seven-year-old had made friends with Husker running back Rex Burkhead.

The former NU star running back had actually been named the captain of “Team Jack” a support group made up of family and friends of the youngster. Jack showed off that friendship by wearing a miniature Burkhead jersey as part of his uniform.

Jack Hoffman lined up behind quarterback Taylor Martinez just like he was the starting running back. On the last play of the scrimmage, the young man took the handoff and ran 69 yards for the game’s final touchdown.

The crowd cheered and both benches emptied when the littlest running back made his way to the endzone. While he looked uncertain when he started his run, there was no doubt where he was headed once he got going.

When Jack was asked what he was thinking when he went onto the field he was very matter of fact when he answered, “Scoring a touchdown.”

When he was asked what it felt like to score the touchdown he said that it felt “awesome,” and when he was asked what he thought of the crowd’s reaction to his long run he said that was “really awesome.”

The reaction to Jack’s run by the players and the more than 64,000 fans who were attending the game left his father a bit misty-eyed as he watched from the sidelines.

Check out the video of Jack Hoffman’s run and see if you don’t get a bit misty-eyed yourself.

[Image Via By Kiley (Flickr: Huskers – Touchdown Celebration) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons]