Athletically, Zachs freshman year in Palo Alto was not as prolific as his freshman year at Centennial. He was 26. This expanded into his coaching career as well. But on May 14, while living with his father in Phoenix during the pandemic, Hoffpauir took a Percocet to help him sleep and never woke up. Im not going to write about it, you can watch the dance videos below and judge for yourself. (Courtesy of Morgan Williams), Zach Hoffpauir smiles while on the football field at Stanford. Zachs physical and mental health were failing him. She is the founder of Oikos Ministries (now called Shannon Hoffpauir ministries), she left her long. Now all of a sudden, sports became a business, Doug said in the Sports360AZ documentary. After the attempt on his life, Zach slowly found his footing with a combination of medication, therapy, and self-reflection. No one does. The head coach was Ed McCaffrey, the father of former Stanford star Christian McCaffrey one of Hoffpauirs best friends. At Stanford, Zach thrived on the football and baseball fields. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. He just wanted to leave the stresses of Stanford behind him. Hoffpauir was 26 when he died this spring, just months after being named a defensive backs coach at Northern Colorado under new hire Ed McCaffrey, the father of former Cardinal teammate and close. At Stanford, Zach thrived on the football and baseball fields. He made us all proud all the time. Now, his family is trying to help others with his story. The next morning, Hoffpauir did not wake up. AddThis Utility Frame. In school, Zach was loved by many that knew him for his wit and his engaging personality. That doesnt tell the story,. Although he had a plethora of offers from Division I colleges for baseball or football, Zach wanted to play both. Now all of a sudden, sports became a business, Doug said in the Sports360AZ documentary. Zachs heart was with ASU, Shannon said in the documentary, But pressure from his family, his friends, and himself, influenced Zach into choosing Stanford. He was an advocate for people dealing with setbacks. I was able to read a lot of his journals and see his struggle in his journal. He was a young, intelligent coach with limitless potential, wrote Ed McCaffery in a Facebook post after Zachs death. Their diagnosis brought immense clarity and a morsel of relief. He persisted and persevered.. According to Dr. McKee, it never wouldve gotten better, only worse. By, Brandon Boyd 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. Thats who Zach was. View the profiles of people named Shannon Hoffpauir. Two weeks earlier, Hoffpauir passed away from an accidental overdose at age 26. At first I could not stop crying about the torture that he had gone through, Shannon said after finding out about the CTE in Zachs brain. Yep, thats 99 cents for 90 days, with the option to cancel anytime. Zach Hoffpauirs legacy undoubtedly lives on in the example he set for how to treat others. It allowed him to focus on good things in his life, even if those things were having a family or air conditioning. Football, baseball, basketball and track, it didnt matter. But this time, Zach entered a deep funk. Stories around the supper table are some of the best moments in life and are the times we best come to know these people we call family. Zach showed me the way when I got to college. He was the definition of a natural athlete. Creative Commons. I slept for like two days. After the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Hoffpauir took a year off from football to spend a season playing minor league baseball. Ill never be the same, his mother, Shannon Hoffpauir, said. My testosterone levels were almost gone. He wanted to help the players succeed on the field, at home, in class and in the community. Related Content. */. You knew when (Zach) was coming down the hallway. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. 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. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News). Hoffpauir passed away on May 14, 2020, and was honored Friday by his alma mater during its game against Hamilton. Hoffpauir was a multi-sport athlete at Centennial High School and excelled at a variety of sports, including football and basketball. Zach affected people by walking in the room. At least not in his eyes. His brain was later studied at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where researchers diagnosed him with Stage 2 (of 4) CTE. He enjoyed horseback riding, fly fishing and vacationing with his family in Mexico, listening to the same music and breathing the same air, his dad said. That Zachary got to go out as Zachary.. For a report to come out, Just another athlete who died of a drug overdose, Shannon said. He was only there for a month and a half before the COVID-19 pandemic sent him home. Zach Hoffpauir was born on September 21, 1993, in Glendale, Arizona, United States as Zachary Thomas Hoffpauir. They passed by the No. The same pressure that pushed him to Stanford is what kept him there for three years. A post shared by Zach Hoffpauir (@zachhoff10). Its hard to find people who when youre around them and theyre truly present, said Thorne. Zach knew something was wrong. He would talk to anyone, she said. So will his legacy at Centennial. . Eventually, Zachs issues became more and more difficult to deal with, leading to an eventual suicide attempt in his bathroom. Manoj, who has worked as a freelance videographer for Riccio Productions, ZAP Entertainment and Harvard University, is working in the Phoenix Sports Bureau. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . He was 26 years old. But he knew something was wrong.. My sister was in there taking my blood pressure.. So will his legacy at Centennial. Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP top-25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was just a light, said Tyler Thorne, Zachs Stanford baseball teammate, at his memorial service. Back home, Zachs parents could see just how much their son was hurting underneath and after his 21st birthday, he had a failed attempt to take his own life. 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 had trouble sleeping as his mind raced at night. And so, that was kinda hard, because these are the things that Zach loved, this is where he wanted to be.. According to neurologist Dr. Ann McKee, Director of Boston University CTE Center, Zach had stage two CTE. After his senior season with Stanford, Zach medically retired from football. Doug Hoffpauir is sharing his son's story to shine a light on the effects of CTE and to encourage those struggling to seek help. 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. He hopes that there are more ways to spread awareness about the dangers of CTE and how to avoid it without having to give up contact sports. The name Douglas Hoffpauir has over 4 birth records, 1 death records, 0 criminal/court records, 12 address records, 8 phone records & more. Sports just happened to be somewhat easy for him and so thats where he made a lot of his friends. He even sought counseling. It all makes sense to me now, Doug said. One of his best friends was Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who played with Zach at Stanford. Douglas A Hoffpauir, 62 . No matter where they came from, no matter their circumstances.. Shannon says Zach seemed to think he had CTE, but theres no way for anyone to know if they have it until theyre already gone. He sought advice for personal growth and mentored others. But on May 15, 2020, Hoffpauir died of an accidental overdose at age 26. I dont know how, but dude it was like a big ol handful, took it all. Zach also set an important precedent by talking about his own struggles with mental health and encouraging others to seek help in their darkest hours. Zach Hoffpauir Family Zach Hoffpauir was the son of Shannon Hoffpauir and Doug Hoffpauir. Zach was known for encouraging friends to keep pursuing their faith and shooting the breeze with family friends. Three Zach Hoffpauir accomplished a great deal, but what he did was not who he was. If someone needed a listening ear, advice or a shoulder to cry on, he was there and it wasnt a burden. One night of sleep was all he wanted. Sometimes he had so much love for other people, said Christian McCaffery, Zachs Stanford football teammate at the celebration of life. We are more similar than we are different, said Zach. He goes I would love to go fishing with you and papa but I have too many video things going on today with school. So the last thing we talked about I just said Zach I love you, and he goes Yeah I love you too. Thats the last thing he said. I got up at 3, we talk a little bit. Those were his people, Doug said. Copyright the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Throughout his childhood, and throughout his life, sports didnt define Zach. For most his life, Zach Hoffpauir was guided forward by sports. He couldnt fight this alone. He was 26. Despite those feelings and physical derailment, Zach gave baseball one more chance. His father said Zach would have loved the celebration. Despite never having Zach as a student, she knew him well during his time there. By the time he reached his forties, its possible he couldve developed Alzheimers or other brain-related diseases. Hoffpauir suffered after his years of playing football. I was totally at peace with it, Doug Hoffpauir said Monday. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir laughs while he holds an iPad at his family's Christmas celebration. Shannon Hoffpauir, Zachs mother, says thats far from the full truth. He finally found his direction. I have nothing else to give.. Hed have been out there, messing with everyone, Doug said. (He) loved his family so much and would do anything for the people he cared about. Zach Hoffpauir could catch a ball at 9 months old and could dribble a basketball at 2. Coincidence? Even at his lowest point, in a mental hospital, he inspired others. The steps towards her goal of getting athletes the help they need are still being created. And there isnt anyone who can tell them whats happening. But as a self-professed recovering perfectionist, for much of her Christian life she was bound by a performance based theology - Gods affection and approval were contingent on toeing the line of legalism. He told her he felt relieved and like he could breathe for the first time in a while. CLF is a Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Organization, In a September 2019 interview on Untold,, in a 2021 documentary from Sports360AZ about Zachs life. Youre encouraged to check out both causes. Zach decided to attend Stanford University, where he would continue football and baseball. Myself, Claudia Faust, and Devon Henry were humbled to share this story. Season: 2015. According to AZCentral, Hoffpauir was staying . Instead, he used those to connect with others. His mood changed. His role, while short, was about so much more than just Xs and Os. They offered him four amazing years., Im not anti-football, he said. This narrowed his choice to two colleges: Arizona State and Stanford. Fred Smith knows real estate. Much of our heritage is learned through the passing down of stories. Hoffpauir was known as a hard hitter and suffered at least five documented concussions before medically retiring from football in 2016. I mightve just fallen on my knees and cried, Doug Hoffpauir said, holding back tears. Propane Services LLC. Zach Hoffpauirs family leads friends on the field at halftime of the Centennial-Hamilton game. 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. He was 26. When he came home after that, thats when we really started to see the problems.. This narrowed his choice to two colleges: Arizona State and Stanford. My cortisol was through the roof.. Work: Phoenix Christian Unified Schools - Treasurer. Once again, the sleepless nights began. And then I felt a slight amount of peace in the sense that there would be some justification for Zachary. He then returned to Palo Alto for a fifth-year senior season in 2016. His father remembers him first catching a ball when he was nine months old, dribbling a basketball by two, and catching his first fish on a fly rod when he was four. McCaffery, a running back drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2017, was told about Zachs condition and acted without hesitation. Christian McCaffrey saved my life, Zach said. Their diagnosis brought immense clarity and a morsel of relief. One minute you are laughing and the next minute you realize that the Holy Spirit just spoke and you have an aha moment that will stay with you forever. Zach was the type of person who you could just feel the charisma coming off of him, said Justin Sanchez, a teammate of Zachs on the Centennial football team. The daily news products are produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. The brain disease is linked to repeated head trauma in football. Zach acknowledged that he felt the weight of those who were rooting for him, those that dreamed so highly for him, and could not bear the thought of letting them down. Its startling to see. . 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. Doug knew his son was special early on. I would hope that seeing (Zachs) number, sharing those stories, keeping a record here on campus allows us the opportunity to not forget, said Adam Larsen, the athletic director at Centennial. I think we just really connected on a spiritual level.. For people to truly understand what he had been facing and going through. Shannon Hoffpauir, Zach's mother, says that's far from the full truth. Thank you to Shannon and Doug for allowing us to enter their homes and speak with them about Zach, and tell his real story. Zach also started coaching back at Centennial High. Although we cannot yet accurately diagnose CTE in living people, a specialist can help treat the symptoms presenting the most challenges. We, as his family, believed that he could do whatever he wanted in life, said Doug. To wrap this up, I want to say thank you to everyone who made this story possible to tell. Former Peoria Centennial baseball/football star Zach Hoffpauir, who passed away on May 14, 2020, at the age of 26, did just that. The best home improvement jobs deserve the best materials. I was already just so destroyed physically from playing two sports and drained mentally basically it was a stripping of identity for me.. He was torn on where to go to school. Hoffpauir didnt start tackle football until eighth grade and never played in the NFL. Zach grew up in Peoria, Arizona receiving a private, Christian education. 31 painted near the 31-year-line. According to his mother, he took a Percocet to help him fall asleep and did not know the pill was laced with fentanyl. And so, that was kinda hard, because these are the things that Zach loved, this is where he wanted to be.. Thats what many hope to accomplish before their time comes to leave this planet. The pathology of the disease follows four stages, from I (mild) to IV (severe). (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, right, and Christian McCaffrey, left, stand during a Stanford football practice. Despite God's warnings through the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was determined to take control by having their own king. Hes somebody that every time I called him was fully present, Christian McCaffrey said on stage at the one-year celebration of life event held for Zach. His death revealed the extent of his care toward others. At Zachs memorial service, Stanford football coach David Shaw reflected on Zachs willingness to speak up to the Stanford coaching staff when he thought change was necessary. However, the underlying cause was unknown until over a year later. Hoffpauir passed away on May 14, 2020, and was honored Friday by his alma mater during its game against Hamilton. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News), That morning (May 13) I went to go fishing, said Doug in a Sports360AZ documentary, Zach Hoffpauir: The Real Story. I got up at 3, we talk a little bit. Hoffpauir was a multi-sport athlete at Centennial High School and excelled at a variety of sports, including football and basketball. Zach, 26, died in his sleep May 15 at his fathers home in Arizona. It was May 14, 2020. He was struggling to just be alive and feel okay.. It changed his life, Doug Hoffpauir said. If it was not for his close friend and former football teammate at Stanford, Christian McCaffery, Zach may have never learned the real source for all of his mental health issues. Despite being an athletic supernova, Zach remained remarkably humble. He was the personality of the school, too, said Diane Dunham, a history teacher at Centennial. 2023 Cronkite News. He texted previous coaches, like Shaw, for advice on how to be a good football coach and honorable leader. He was 26. Despite never having Zach as a student, she knew him well during his time there. From the moment we could sit still in our mothers arms, we have loved stories. I tried to overdose. With the right diagnosis and the right medication, Zach was on his comeback trail. My dopamine levels were zero. Centennial football retires the #31 jersey of Zach Hoffpauir, who starred at safety for the Coyotes from 2009-2011. It changed his life," Doug Hoffpauir said. He began working locally, working with high school football teams in the Peoria and Phoenix area, including his old stomping ground, Centennial. We support patients and families through the CLF HelpLine, providing personalized help to those struggling with the outcomes of brain injury. Statistics. 2023 Cronkite News. . He rooted for the underdogs. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, right, takes a photo with his family, including his step brothers and step mother. January 1, 1964 is Shannon's birth date. That was his heart.. We remember things through stories, and we forget things when we take down the things that mean so much to us, we cant tell those stories anymore. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, center, smiles for a photo with his mother, Shannon, right, and sister Hillary. He began writing whenever he felt anxious, listing whatever he felt grateful for in that moment to ground him. Former Peoria Centennial baseball/football star Zach Hoffpauir, who passed away on May 14, 2020, at the age of 26, did just that. So I went to sleep, then I woke up and I just had this weird feeling. I medically retired, which I acted like it didnt bother me but it did, Zach said. The same pressure that pushed him to Stanford is what kept him there for three years. Send a note to us at [email protected]. His junior year, Hoffpauir earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention as a safety in football and as a right fielder in baseball. In the end, Zachs decision came down to two schools: Arizona State University and Stanford. His playing style for Stanford football was no exception. One of the most common is his attention to everyone he had a connection with. After Stanford and the finality of not being able to play beyond college, he struggled with what to do in life, said Doug Hoffpauir. Hoffpauir passed away on May 14, 2020, and was honored Friday by his alma mater during its game against Hamilton. Hes like my heartbeat.. He began working locally, working with high school football teams in the Peoria and Phoenix area, including his old stomping ground, Centennial. Shannon is a resident at 1617 Chatsworth Drv, Morgan City, LA 70380-1606. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family). Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. If you werent paying attention to him, he was going to get your attention. You dont pass up Stanford, Shannon said. He returned and won back his starting position at free safety, and had a strong start to the season before two concussions in back-to-back games ended his season and ultimately, his football career. View Reputation Profile. The first choice was Stanford. Thats the last thing he said. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? 31 painted near the 31-year-line. As he did with all things, Zach put his all into every hit. Facebook gives people the power to. He goes I would love to go fishing with you and papa but I have too many video things going on today with school. So the last thing we talked about I just said, Zach I love you, and he goes Yeah, I love you, too.. 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.
Let's Make A Deal' Host Before Wayne Brady,
Yuripzy Morgan Wbal Radio,
Bible Verses About Being Reunited With Loved Ones In Heaven,
Fairport Convention Albums Ranked,
Janice Smith Obituary 2021,
Articles D