Former Stanford player Zach Hoffpauir dies
Former Stanford safety Zach Hoffpauir died Thursday. He was 26.
Hoffpauir was with his father in Arizona during the coronavirus pandemic. His father Doug did not give a reason for his son’s death to the Arizona Republic.
Stanford tweeted a tribute to Hoffpauir Friday morning.
We are heartbroken for the tragic loss of our brother, Zach Hoffpauir, gone far too soon. Zach lit up every room he walked into, intent on giving his vitality and passion to bring out your best.
Our thoughts and love are with Zach’s family and friends.
Rest In Peace, Hoff 🙏 pic.twitter.com/lAEXjLRv4S— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) May 15, 2020
Life is not just about what you accomplish. I believe life is about how you influence others. Every day Zach Hoffpauir gave his love and passion to his family, his teammates and the players he coached. Our prayers are with the Hoffpauir family, though Zach you are always with us. pic.twitter.com/GuELVAcPYx
— David Shaw (@CoachDavidShaw) May 15, 2020
Hoffpauir was good friends with former Stanford running back and current Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey posted a tribute to Hoffpauir to Instagram.
Hoffpauir played at Stanford from 2012-16. He recorded 99 total tackles and had nine passes defensed in his career. His most productive season came as a junior in 2014 when he had 43 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. He earned an honorable mention on the Pac-12’s all-conference team.
A multisport athlete through high school and college, Hoffpauir played both baseball and football at Stanford. He spent the 2015 football season playing minor league baseball after he was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. After playing baseball for a season he returned for his senior football season in 2016 before he medically retired due to injuries.
Hoffpauir was set to coach the 2020 season for Christian’s father Ed McCaffrey at Northern Colorado. He was hired as the team’s safeties coach after coaching high school football in 2019. Ed McCaffrey, the former Broncos and 49ers wide receiver, was hired at Northern Colorado after serving as the head coach of Valor Christian High School for two seasons.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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