Little Jack Hoffman an inspiration to Nebraska football

Photo courtesy of Andy Hoffman

By now over 2 million people have viewed the play on Youtube and 7-year-old Jack Hoffman has become an internet sensation.

The Red Team faced fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of Nebraska's spring game when coach Bo Pelini called a timeout. It was time for their secret weapon—Jack.

Hoffman trotted onto the field to lineup alongside Huskers' quarterback Taylor Martinez. He was wearing little football pads and a miniature No. 22 jersey, just like his favorite player, running back Rex Burkhead.

The ball was snapped and Hoffman went left, then right, then streaked 69 yards downfield for a touchdown. As he reached the end zone, he was mobbed by Nebraska players. Fullback C.J. Zimmerer hoisted him on his shoulders. The 60,000-plus fans at Memorial Stadium Saturday went crazy.

But before Hoffman could relish in that moment of bliss, he's had to undergo a journey no child should endure.

On the morning of April 22, 2011, Hoffman went into the kitchen for breakfast as usual. But his parents, Andy and Bri, noticed their 5-year-old son was completely unresponsive. His face was blank.

Jack's parents rushed him to the local hospital, West Holt Memorial, in Atkinson, Neb. Then he suffered a grand mal seizure that lasted 30 minutes. Jack was flown to Children's Hospital in Omaha . After weeks of treatment and more seizures, Jack was eventually diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer.

"It just tipped our life upside down," Andy said.

Jack's first surgery didn't go as planned as doctors could only remove a small portion of the tumor. He needed a second surgery, but it was risky. After a second opinion at Children's Hospital in Boston, known for its pediatric brain cancer care, the Hoffmans decided to go for it.

But before then, they wanted to do something special for Jack.

He had always been a Nebraska fan, so Andy inquired about meeting his son's favorite player, Burkhead. The school invited the family to campus on Sept. 15, 2011, 30 days before the second surgery.

Burkhead took Jack to lunch, gave him a tour of Memorial Stadium, and even challenged him to a race on the football field.

While in the Huskers' locker room, Jack gave Burkhead a red wristband that said, "Team Jack Pray." Burkhead hasn't taken it off since. He even wore it during February's NFL Scouting Combine.

On Oct. 8, 2011, two days before Jack's second surgery , Nebraska played Ohio State in its Big Ten home opener. The Huskers were down 20-6 at halftime, when Burkhead noticed hat red wristband. He told his teammates, "Jack's not giving up and we're not giving up."

Nebraska ended up winning the game 34-27, marking the biggest comeback in school history. Burkhead scored the two game-winning touchdowns.

"Jack was the inspiration," Burkhead said. "We were dog-tired, but looking down and knowing what he was going through, there was no way I was going to give up."

Jack had surgery the following Monday and Burkhead called him on Wednesday to tell him that he helped the Huskers win that game.

"I told him he was our lucky charm," Burkhead said.

Jack's dad gave him a pep talk during their three-and-a-half hour drive to Lincoln for the spring game.

"I told him to stay inbounds, don't fumble the ball and keep running until you reach the end zone," Andy said.