So will his legacy at Centennial. People always tell me I was his biggest cheerleader, but he was really mine, Hillary Hoffpauir said. (Courtesy of Shannon Hoffpauir), Zach Hoffpauir, left, poses for a photo with his cousin, Morgan Williams, at the family's 2019 Christmas Celebration. For a report to come out, Just another athlete who died of a drug overdose, Shannon said. As the calendar turned his freshman year, Hoffpauir went on to start at point guard on the schools basketball team and nearly hit .400 on the baseball team. Christian McCaffrey saved my life, Zach said in the podcast. One year after the death of his son, Doug Hoffpauir heard from the brain doctors at Boston University. Zach Hoffpauir, a two-sport standout at Stanford who earned All-Pac 12 honors as a safety in football and played two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks' minor league system, has died at age 26. I felt helpless because I wanted to fix things for Zach, but I did not know what was really wrong.. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. Now we better understand why Zach struggled so much during the last few years of his life.. Because if he had to, he would challenge you and he would step up and say, This is not right.. Zach, 26, died in his sleep May 15 at his fathers home in Arizona. Cavness, expressed the same feeling in his eulogy. C hristian McCaffrey posted a photo of Hoffpauir on his Instagram account Friday which began, Yesterday Heaven gained an angel, and I lost one of my best friends in the world. He called Hoffpauir a true friend and great brother to anyone he knew. Stanford safety Zach Hoffpauir (10) had 99 tackles in his Stanford career. Zach Hoffpauir, 26, died in his sleep, according to a release from the athletic department. After the attempt on his life, Zach slowly found his footing with a combination of medication, therapy, and self-reflection. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, center, smiles for a photo with his mother, Shannon, right, and sister Hillary. he calls my dad and says Im going to fly him out here, hes going to see Dr. Prusmack whos the chief neurosurgeon for the Denver Broncos. I sit down with him for 15 minutes and he tells me I have Lyme Disease. He was like a brother to our boys and recently found his calling as our safeties coach https://t.co/eNYbQB30fv. 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. They played football together at Stanford. He finally found his direction. Zach Hoffpauir died on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at the age of 26. Zach would come back to Arizona, medically retired from football. zachhoff10. So much so, that he decided to pack up his bags and head back to Stanford to complete his senior year and have one more run with Stanford. He challenged me, said Shaw. msn back to msn home sports Skip To Navigation Find out how. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Glendale native Zach Hoffpauir, who played baseball and football at Stanford University after a brilliant athletic career at Peoria's Centennial High School, died in his sleep May 15. Soon after, the Hoffpauirs sent Zachs brain to Boston University for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy research where it was determined he had already progressed to stage two CTE. And we connect in weaknesses.. Zach Hoffpauir, a two-sport standout at Stanford who earned All-Pac 12 honours as a safety in football and played two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league system, has died at age 26. 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. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, right, and Christian McCaffrey, left, stand during a Stanford football practice. My cortisol was through the roof.. He was recently hired as an assistant coach for Northern Colorado as his minor league baseball career was officially . Zach Hoffpauir Death and Obituary News - What Happened to Zach Hoffpauir This is a developing story that Zach Hoffpauir may have sadly passed away, according to some statements posted on social media. Zach could light up a room like it was nothing, and had this amazing, unique personality. In school, Zach was loved by many that knew him for his wit and his engaging personality. Following tragedies, Central High School finds comfort in its football community. He loved coaching those boys, Shannon Hoffpauir said. Zach was 26 years old. Hoffpauir's parents, Doug and Shannon, were recognized Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease found posthumously in the brains of football players. Hoffpauir was with his father in . I would tell him that hes the love of my life and he was enough, just him, Shannon Hoffpauir said. He was a young, intelligent coach with limitless potential, wrote Ed McCaffery in a Facebook post after Zachs death. Zach Hoffpauir, a former Peoria Centennial and Stanford football safety, died last Thursday at the age of 26. He taught me how to not give a fuck about what people think about me, and to do it my way. Following Zachs death, Doug was contacted about donating Zachs brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank for CTE research. Never miss an issue. Zach Hoffpauir, a two-sport standout at Stanford who earned All-Pac 12 honours as a safety in football and played two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league system, has died at age 26. 31, now painted in the teams red and white above the 31-yard line, that will forever represent everything they believed their son Zach valued. Hoffpauirs career doesnt fit neatly into the model usually associated with players who display symptoms of CTE later in life. All the concussions he got from playing shortened his career. A recently-hired University of Northern Colorado assistant football coach died Thursday. Doug could tell he was cognizant of and upset by his mood changes. */. Sometimes he had so much love for other people, said Christian McCaffery, Zachs Stanford football teammate at the celebration of life. He played primarily on special teams in football and struggled mightily in baseball. Zach Hoffpauir (R) had 99 tackles in his time at Stanford. He had a gregarious personality and we all loved him. He made people want to be like him, be like God and be something more. January 28, 2016: OF Zach Hoffpauir retired. Surviving the attempt led Zach to realize he needed help. In a game against Hamilton, the Huskies retired Hoffpauir's number 31 jersey in an emotional ceremony. New UNC head football coach Ed McCaffrey hired Zach in February to coach safeties. He survived a suicide attempt in 2019. The University of Northern Colorado football team honored its former assistant coach Zach Hoffpauir, who died unexpectedly in May 2020. You have permission to edit this article. He hit .258 with 3 home runs in 62 at-bats in Class A ball that summer, then returned to Stanford to resume his football career in 2016. Of course, he didnt have everything together. The same pressure that pushed him to Stanford is what kept him there for three years. His playing style for Stanford football was no exception. The neurologist who diagnosed Zach with Lyme Disease prescribed him medication to help him stay balanced. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? According to Dr. Ann McKee, a professor of neurology at Boston University, which works with the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the examination of Hoffpauirs brain revealed a startling level of CTE. zachhoff10. PEORIA - It was a moment of celebration but also melancholy as Doug and Shannon Hoffpauir led a crowd to the middle of the Centennial High School football field. He could walk into a room and light up the room., Matt Rodriguez, another teammate, said, He made plays, he was always talking, he was always clowning, roasting everybody, no one talked trash better, no one was more confident than Zach. 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. The father said at the time that the Hoffpauir family had donated Zachs brain to concussion research. I was totally at peace with it, Doug Hoffpauir said Monday. 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. Now all of a sudden, sports became a business, Doug said in the Sports360AZ documentary. Send Flowers. Hoffpauir left Stanford in 2015 after being taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 22nd round of the MLB draft and played a minor league season that summer. His brain was later studied at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where researchers diagnosed him with Stage 2 (of 4) CTE. The documentary that dives into the life of the former Peoria Centennial High School and Stanford football and baseball standout will air 12 times on Bally Sports Arizona, starting Tuesday. He always said hashtag CTE.. Theres no way to specify when the disease started. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir signs his autograph on the Stanford Cardinals team poster. By Tom Scanlon, Glendale Star Managing Editor. Zachs cousin, J.D. Stanford was excellent to Zach, he said. I got to know him after the freshmen football season was over, cause he also started on the varsity basketball team at point guard as a freshman. Hed have been out there, messing with everyone, Doug said. But within a year, he began to feel the itch for football again. After he medically retired from football and left Stanford, Hoffpauir suffered from Valley fever, Meningitis and a form of Lyme disease. Kenneth Manoj expects to graduate in December 2021 with a masters degree in sports journalism. No cause of death for the former Stanford football and baseball player has been released. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. Fiorentina captain Astori found dead aged 31 before match. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree. He was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, LA. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. It didnt kill former Stanford football player Zach Hoffpauir, who died accidentally in May 2020 when he unknowing took Percocet that had been laced with fentanyl. He holds a MA from Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Yep, thats 99 cents for 90 days, with the option to cancel anytime. At that time, we didnt bring freshman up (to varsity), but he probably couldve played on the varsity team as a freshman. But I never knew how much I needed every word. Sormani, who has a self-titled YouTube channel, is working in the Phoenix News Bureau. Months later, Brain Bank researchers informed the Hoffpauirs that Zach had Stage 2 (of 4) CTE. I believe life is about how you influence others, Shaw tweeted. Life is not just about what you accomplish. At Stanford, Hoffpauir played safety in football and was a star baseball player. He would always come back to Centennial to help out the Coyotes. That he didnt have enough love for himself.. This is fun, Zach told Taylor once his helmet was on straight. If that day marks the official start to an athlete's season then Zach Hoffpauir has been in season for 296 days. College Sports | He was 79. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Their brains should be pristine. After games, I was like, I dont feel happy, I feel relieved, but then Im thinking about the next one, and Im all stressed out again, Zach said on the podcast Untold with Jordan Simone in September of 2019. The family donated his brain to Boston University's Chronic Traumatic EncephalopathyCenter that studies long-term consequences of repetitive head trauma. He was a true friend and a great brother to anyone he knew. We were celebrating his accomplishments not knowing that it caused a lot of pressure for him to perform.. James "Huffy" Hoffpauir passed away suddenly on July 14, 2022, due to heart failure. He was in the middle of everything, from his dance moves to his football hits, to his baseball home runs, to his transparency and resiliency and leading the room. Zach took the job as a defensive backs coach at NCU. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Former Stanford safety Zach Hoffpauir died Thursday. It was May 14, 2020. Brink, Jump lead No. Prior to high school, Zach played one year of eight-on-eight tackle football. The Stanford Cardinal family collectively mourned one of their own this weekend after the news of Zach Hoffpauir, the former two-sport star, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2020.. Hoffpauir was with his father, who confirmed the news to the Arizona Republic, not citing a cause. Talented young athletes often dominate several sports in elementary school and even high school. People from all walks of life were invited to his Peoria, Arizona, service to pay respects and remember the honor it was to have known him. "It's humbling to have been trusted by his family to share his story with those who never got to know the real Zach Hoffpauir.". 3,347 followers. It changed his life, Doug Hoffpauir said. He was our he was kinda like our heartbeat honestly, he was the personality of the team.. Zach Hoffpauir, a former two-sport athlete at Stanford University, died Thursday at the age of 26. But this time, Zach entered a deep funk. He hit .258 with three home runs and seven RBIs in 62 at-batsbetween rookie and Single-A ball. He was like a brother to our boys, Ed McCaffrey said. It allowed him to focus on good things in his life, even if those things were having a family or air conditioning. He battled Lyme disease, Valley fever, meningitis, depression, insomnia. The struggle didnt break him, it strengthened him, Burkholder said. But even the most gifted focus on just one sport in high school. The world lost a legendary friend and family member, said Cara Burkholder, longtime friend. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. She went on to play volleyball at Lee University in Tennessee. The family does not expect results from the local autopsy for two or three months and the CTE study will likely take a year or more. This narrowed his choice to two colleges: Arizona State and Stanford. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Joyec Ann Hoffpauir (Rosenberg, Texas), born in Houston, Texas, who passed away on February 17, 2023, at the age of 78, leaving to mourn family and friends.