And so, that was kinda hard, because these are the things that Zach loved, this is where he wanted to be.. It was compassion, Zach said. Former Peoria Centennial football/baseball star Zach Hoffpauir, one of the greatest athletes in Arizona high school history, died Thursday morning, his father Doug told The Arizona Republic. Are you or someone you know struggling with lingering concussion symptoms or possible CTE? Zach Hoffpauir, a former Peoria Centennial and Stanford football safety, died last Thursday at the age of 26. He was never one of the so-called Pee Wee bobbleheads, where the young brain sits atop an undeveloped neck and absorbs hundred, if not thousands of hits. He finally found his direction. At that time, McCaffrey and other Stanford teammates returned to the Valley for a dinner on the anniversary of Hoffpauir's death. Hoffpauir was known as a hard hitter and suffered at least five documented concussions before medically retiring from football in 2016. Zach moved in with Doug during this time. They went above and beyond, even when he had concussions. I hate that its because of this, but maybe some positive can come of it. In a practice his sophomore year, Taylor saw Zach take a hit so big his helmet rotated 90 degrees across his face. When Zach took that step up from high school athletics to college athletics, Zach began to feel as if he was losing his passion for the game, his father said. He made 137 more in high school and was in on hundreds of others playing running back and wide receiver. We are more similar than we are different, said Zach. He played primarily on special teams in football and struggled mightily in baseball. He was good enough to be drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and played parts of two minor-league seasons. The disease carries three classic features the CTE triad according to Dr. Robert Cantu of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Hoffpauir died on May 14 . Doug Hoffpauir said the opportunity provided a new spark in Zachs life and thanked McCaffrey for taking a chance on his son. Northern Colorado assistant coach Zach Hoffpauir has died, the program has announced. He did things the right way. But as he played through those first three years, he began to feel the effects of playing two sports at an elite collegiate level, while also meeting the academic standards of a college like Stanford. Our prayers are with the Hoffpauir family, though Zach, you are always with us.. And I said, Thats that Hoffpauir kid that plays football?. His heart ached to care for them. Football, baseball, basketball and track, it didnt matter. The medical examiner's report is not yet complete and does not yet list a cause of death. In 2011, his last football season at Centennial, Hoffpauir was all over the field as a hard-hitting safety and a red-zone running back finding tough yards into the end zone. Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, More than 25 years experience covering NFL, college football and NASCAR. Life is not just about what you accomplish. Creative Commons. Zach Hoffpauir died on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at the age of 26. Now we better understand why Zach struggled so much during the last few years of his life.. Brad Cesmat, founder and CEO of Sports360AZ.com, said that he first approached Shannon and Doug about doing a documentary on their son in mid-May. Zach Hoffpauir (R) had 99 tackles in his time at Stanford. Doug Hoffpauir wants the world to know that even now, 15 months later, with the CTE diagnosis confirmed, he isnt mad. Former Stanford two-sport standout Zach Hoffpauir, an All-Pac-12 safety who also played minor league baseball for the Diamondbacks, passed away on Thursday in Arizona. That he didnt have enough love for himself.. The family of Zach Hoffpauir is hoping some good can come out of tragedy. Hoffpauir's father, Doug Hoffpauir, confirmed his death to The Arizona Republic. As he grew up, he would hit socks across his home with a spatula. Once college was over, Zach struggled with the lack of a next.. They passed by the No. At the time of his death, he was staying with his father in Arizona during the coronavirus pandemic. Hoffpauir recently was hired by Northern Colorado football coach Ed McCaffrey to be his defensive backs coach. christianmccaffrey. She went on to play volleyball at Lee University in Tennessee. While Hoffpauir was a star athlete on the field, no o. Hoffpauirs career doesnt fit neatly into the model usually associated with players who display symptoms of CTE later in life. That research will be valuable to future generations. Just wanted to remind all the FCA campers since I couldn't come defend my title . Details are here, and thanks for your support. Stanford ex-player Zach Hoffpauir, who died, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, Former Stanford player Zach Hoffpauir, who died accidentally, diagnosed with startling CTE levels, Pac-12 recruiting: Huge weekend for Cal while Oregon and L.A. schools also welcome 2024 recruits, Mailbag: Kliavkoffs risky strategy with Pac-12 media rights, Pac-12 basketball Hot Seat breakdown: Decisions loom as March arrives, Best of the West: Our predictions for the mens WCC tournament, Predictions for Pac-12 media rights, network partners and expansion. Following his death, Hoffpauirs family donated his brain for concussion research. Zach decided to attend Stanford University, where he would continue football and baseball. But by the time he was 26, after several concussions at Stanford, his frontal lobe was full of the lesions that are the hallmark of CTE. Out of the limelight, away from the studies and the pressures around him, Zach found his respite and could focus on keeping himself at peace and playing baseball. He made a difference in the life of every person he met.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I didnt have to tell him. . Zach Hoffpauir, who died at 26 and was perhaps the greatest football player to come out of Centennial, will have his No. Hoffpauir was a multi-sport athlete at Centennial High School and excelled at a variety of sports, including football and basketball. That speaking to Zach was like speaking to an adult.. Hoffpauir's parents, Doug and Shannon, were recognized His junior year, Hoffpauir earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention as a safety in football and as a right fielder in baseball. He did things the right way. The speakers who eulogized Zach had all coached him, played football or baseball with him, or grown up with him. Zach had been staying with his father in the Valley during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. I had a teacher come up and tell me once, said Taylor. Hoffpauir's parents, Doug and Shannon, were recognized "He loved his head coach, Ed McCaffrey. After the attempt, he began finding healing through a combination of medication, therapy, and self-reflection. Reverend Zach Sasser, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, will officiate. Ben Copeland, another of Hoffpauirs many friends, may have summed it up best: There will never be another Zach Hoffpauir and thats okay. Despite never having Zach as a student, she knew him well during his time there. Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He had a shorter fuse and he snapped at friends and family more quickly. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Local Sports Things To Do Business eNewspaper Politics USA TODAY Obituaries Travel. He went through a suicidal period but appeared to have found peace in the spring of 2020 when he accepted a position on the Northern Colorado coaching staff. His brain was later studied at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where researchers diagnosed him with Stage 2 (of 4) CTE. Following Zachs death, Doug was contacted about donating Zachs brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank for CTE research. August 25, 2021 8:12 am PT. It wouldve been great to see him here, he said. 17 UCLA, My AP WBB ballot: Stanford-UCLA starts Cardinals huge week. At his memorial, Zachs pastor said, Everything Zach did was loud and it was passionate.. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease found posthumously in the brains of football players. So, when Ed McCaffery, the former NFL player and Christians father, took the head coaching position for the University of Northern Colorado in February 2020, Christian recommended his father add Zach to the coaching staff. Once again, the sleepless nights began. 31, now painted in the team's red and white above the 31-yard line, that will . He was Do tax exemptions apply to costs like burial, cremation and floral arrangements? But Hoffpauir sustained several concussions during his career and displayed many of the classic CTE symptoms, including mood swings, depression and memory loss. He worked hard, boosted morale and was incredibly kind, said Casey Sawyer, marketing manager for the Portland, Oregon, suburb-located Hillsboro Hops. Find out how. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News). Zach went 6-12 with three home runs in the series, including an infamous post-homer stare down with a Cal pitcher who had been taunting Stanford. 3,347 followers. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, center, smiles for a photo with his mother, Shannon, right, and sister Hillary. Doug Hoffpauir said Dubose called him and said Zach was an angel and he saved (his) life.. I never doubted for a second whether or not he had my back. He battled Lyme disease, Valley fever, meningitis, depression, insomnia. Following tragedies, Central High School finds comfort in its football community. Zach also loved dancing, whether it was in the car, in the Hillsboro Hops baseball clubhouse the minor league team for which he played briefly on the field or at a concert. Zach Hoffpauirs legacy undoubtedly lives on in the example he set for how to treat others. All the things you try to instill in your kid, he was doing that. Though concussions derailed his dreams of playing pro football, Hoffpauir was a member of three Pac 12 champion football teams, played in two Rose Bowls and was an All-Pac 12 honorable mention. He had so much to look forward to. He was a walking example of how to care for people, a rare soul.. James "Huffy" Hoffpauir passed away suddenly on July 14, 2022, due to heart failure. Christian McCaffrey was his best friend. Arizona Cardinals facilities grade poorly in anonymous NFLPA poll, Coin collectors unite: National Money Show in Phoenix features rare currency, Desert Botanical Garden nurtures endangered monarchs and native butterflies at Majestic Mariposas exhibit, Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Kyle Lewis looks to swat injury bug and return to form with new club, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone usher in new era of Los Angeles Dodgers pitching, Tiger Woods newest business venture opens its doors in Glendale, Hobbs says state will not proceed for now with court-ordered execution, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He holds a MA from Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Send Flowers. If someone needed a listening ear, advice or a shoulder to cry on, he was there and it wasnt a burden. We wont find out for over a year, Doug Hoffpauir told this news organization at the time. He excelled in both and became one of the best athletes in Centennial history. Zach could light up a room like it was nothing, and had this amazing, unique personality. Centennial remembers football standout Zach Hoffpauir, a life taken too soon. To the general public, Zach Hoffpauir is just an athlete and coach who died too soon. Zach grew up in Peoria, Arizona receiving a private, Christian education. All rights reserved. ", McCaffrey family hit hard by Hoffpauir's death, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? He survived a suicide attempt in 2019. Theres no way to specify when the disease started. Several themes emerged from their tearful tributes. Jayden Sormani expects to graduate December 2021 with a bachelors degree in sports journalism. "He was so excited to get back to Northern Colorado and try to influence lives beyond football. I am so incredibly saddened that a bright light that could have had such a positive influence on so many lives burnt out way too soon, McCaffrey wrote in an email. I'll cherish all the memories we had bro. But within a year, he began to feel the itch for football again. Hoffpauir helped coach football at Anthem Boulder Creek last season with Beau Kitson, one of his close friends. Just to so many people, so many people he would have reached and touched in the future. "He loved his head coach, Ed McCaffrey. Zach Hoffpauir, 26, died in his sleep, according to a release from the athletic department. Zach Hoffpauir, a former two-sport athlete at Stanford University, died Thursday at the age of 26. Find Fishing Supplies listings in San Francisco, CALIFORNIA.