Team Jack History
Spring 2011
Team Jack Grassroots Movement
Fall 2011
Jack Meets His Favorite Husker
August 2012
T-shirt Project | $275K Raised
Andy Hoffman, with the help of Mike Flood of Flood Communications, launched an officially collegiate licensed Nebraska t-shirt, that has the words, TEAM JACK, Fighting for a victory in the battle against pediatric brain cancer," flanking the Nebraska Iron N. Over 30,000 t-shirts were sold funding Team Jack's first research investment, thanks to the help from Nebraska radio stations and Husker Nation!
January 2013
First Research Project Funded
April 2013
ESPY Award Winning Touchdown Run
Andy Hoffman wrote in his book Yards After Contact, "the score wasn't for the red team, the white team, or the Huskers - it was for the children whose struggles we'd seen firsthand."
Jack's run received national media attention and had nearly 9 million views on YouTube. The Hoffman's used the trip to The White House to meet then President Obama, and appearances on Fox & Friends and Good Morning America to spread awareness for childhood brain cancer and the dire need for research to develop better treatments. Jack's run also won Best Moment in Sports at the 2013 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. Through it all, the Hoffmans told everyone they knew about the need for better treatments for kids with brain cancer.
March 2015
$1.5 million committed to UNMC
November 2016
Andy Hoffman Wins NASCAR Humanitarian Award
February 2018
Power 5 | Nebraska Childhood Brain Tumor Initiative
1. Laboratory and clinical research
2. Pain management in cancer
3. Education
Learn more here: https://teamjackfoundation.org/nebraintumorprogram/.
This initiative was kickstarted by a $500,000 private gift to the Foundation.
November 2020
Andy Hoffman's Book Yards After Contact Published
March 2021
Team Jack Foundation Co-Founder, Andy Hoffman Passes Away
April 2024
Over $13 Million Raised to Date
Spring 2011
Team Jack Grassroots Movement
“Team Jack” started in rural Nebraska as grassroots movement when then five-year-old Jack Hoffman from Atkinson, Nebraska was diagnosed with brain cancer. Jack’s family, friends and community rallied around him and his family. The initial efforts were the sale of a wristband and t-shirt created to show support and prayers for Jack.
Fall 2011
Jack Meets His Favorite Husker
Jack was facing a second tumor resection in October of 2011. No one was sure what the future held for Jack, so his dad Andy sent a note to the University of Nebraska to see if he could meet his favorite player, Rex Burkhead. The Hoffmans not only met Rex, but ended up spending the day with him. Rex introduced Jack to the Nebraska Football team which was the start of an important partnership. Following the meeting, Rex stayed in touch with Jack and his family and have become great friends. Rex has served on the Team Jack Foundation Board of Directors since 2013, and used his platform to raise research funds and awareness during his 10-year career as an NFL running back.
August 2012
T-shirt Project | $275K Raised
After learning about the archaic and toxic treatments Jack would have to take, the Hoffmans wanted to raise funds for research so better treatments could be developed. They understood that their efforts likely would never help Jack, but wanted to help the many kids that would be diagnosed after him.
Andy Hoffman, with the help of Mike Flood of Flood Communications, launched an officially collegiate licensed Nebraska t-shirt, that has the words, TEAM JACK, Fighting for a victory in the battle against pediatric brain cancer,” flanking the Nebraska Iron N. Over 30,000 t-shirts were sold funding Team Jack’s first research investment, thanks to the help from Nebraska radio stations and Husker Nation!
January 2013
First Research Project Funded
From the sale of the 30,000 collegiate licensed Nebraska Team Jack t-shirts, the Hoffmans were able to make a $275,000 research investment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This first investment was made through from the Team Jack Legacy Fund, in partnership with Cure Search for children’s cancer. This was just prior to the Team Jack Foundation’s inception as a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
April 2013
ESPY Award Winning Touchdown Run
In the 2013 Nebraska Spring Game in front of more than 60,000 Husker fans, seven-year-old Jack Hoffman scored a 69-yard touchdown!
Andy Hoffman wrote in his book Yards After Contact, “the score wasn’t for the red team, the white team, or the Huskers – it was for the children whose struggles we’d seen firsthand.”
Jack’s run received national media attention and had nearly 9 million views on YouTube. The Hoffman’s used the trip to The White House to meet then President Obama, and appearances on Fox & Friends and Good Morning America to spread awareness for childhood brain cancer and the dire need for research to develop better treatments. Jack’s run also won Best Moment in Sports at the 2013 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. Through it all, the Hoffmans told everyone they knew about the need for better treatments for kids with brain cancer.
March 2015
$1.5 million committed to UNMC
After lobbying the Nebraska State legislators, Andy Hoffman was able to get a $1.5 million commitment to begin to develop a childhood brain tumor program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The funded the program, but would not do so without a private match. Team Jack Foundation agreed to be the matching funder, and so the Nebraska Childhood Brain Tumor Program came to fruition to help kids in our region have access to the specialized care they need when fighting brain cancer.
November 2016
Andy Hoffman Wins NASCAR Humanitarian Award
At the 2016 NASCAR Honors Gala, Andy Hoffman was named the recipient of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Once selected as a top-four finalist, the winner was determined by a fan vote over the course of several months. The Team Jack Foundation was granted $100,000 as the prize for winning the award. This special honor was a tremendous lift for the Foundation, not only because of the funds received, but also for the amount of awareness raised for childhood brain cancer.
February 2018
Power 5 | Nebraska Childhood Brain Tumor Initiative
In order to continue to develop the brain tumor program at UNMC & Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Team Jack announced an additional $5 million commitment to the program. These funds would provide support in three areas:
Learn more here.
This initiative was kickstarted by a $500,000 private gift to the Foundation.
November 2020
Andy Hoffman’s Book Yards After Contact Published
After years of wanting to write a book about Jack’s journey with brain cancer and the story of the Foundation, Andy finished his book, Yards After Contact, in May of 2020. By November of that year, it was published and available for purchase, with all rights to the book left in the name of the Team Jack Foundation. This story was Andy’s way of raising awareness and research funds for childhood brain cancer for decades to come. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book benefit the Team Jack Foundation and its mission to fund impactful childhood brain cancer research.
March 2021
Team Jack Foundation Co-Founder, Andy Hoffman Passes Away
After advocating for better treatments for childhood brain cancer for nearly a decade, Andy Hoffman, Team Jack Co-Founder, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a deadly brain tumor. This news was just devastating to Andy, his family, and the Foundation. After a seven month battle, Andy passed away on March 1, 2021. Andy’s family, the Team Jack Foundation staff and board of directors are working fervently to uphold Andy’s legacy by carrying on in raising research funds and awareness for childhood brain cancer.
April 2024
Over $13 Million Raised to Date
To date, the Team Jack Foundation has raised over $13 million for research and has committed $10.7 million to national and local research, funding 16 projects. These funds were raised thanks to the generosity of many donors through events, direct mail campaigns, contests, memorials, and general donations.
January 2025
Team Jack Foundation namesake, Jack Hoffman Passes Away
When Jack Hoffman was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011 he was just five years old. His diagnosis sparked an incredible movement to raise awareness and research funds for childhood brain cancer. Jack was a participant in two clinical trials during his fourteen-year battle with brain cancer which allowed him to do much of the same things his peers did. He graduated from West Holt High School in May of 2024, and made the Dean’s List in his first semester of college at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. After living his life to its fullest and fighting with everything he had, Jack passed away on January 15, 2025. His Foundation and his family will continue to fight in his honor.
