Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead has been named one of four finalists for the 2012 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award.
After having lunch with him in September, Burkhead has forged a close friendship with 6-year-old Atkinson native Jack Hoffman, who was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric brain cancer.
Burkhead and several NU teammates now wear “Team Jack” wristbands on gameday, and the Hoffman family visited the Huskers in Orlando for the Capital One Bowl. Burkhead regularly keeps in touch with Jack, too.
Uplifting Athletes, out of Camp Hill, Pa., describes the Rare Disease Champion Award as “presented annually to recognize a leader in the world of college football who has realized his or her potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community.”
Fan voting for the award begins Feb. 1. A link via Huskers.com can be found here.
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Just another example of why Rex is so beloved by Husker fans. What a class act.
Sometimes, I remember we only get Rex for one more year, and then I begin to weep quietly. He’ll always be one of my favorites. I will give strong consideration to naming my first born son after him as well.
PS – The first sentence is the only one I was joking in. But only a little.
If there were more like him in college football, wouldn’t
college athletics be a better place? No DUI’s; no assaulting
of girlfriends; no armed robberies; no retail thefts, etc, etc.
Couldn’t select a better ambassador, a better example or more deserving winner. Congratulations to Rex and “Go Jack.” Hang in there.
Absolutely love stories and awards like this. Good recognition for Rex. Like you said, NU couldn’t ask for a better ambassador.
Thank you Tim Beck & John Papuchis for recruiting this fine first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America student-athlete to go to school at the University of Nebraska.
Thank you Bo Pelini for the policy of recruiting character guys like Rex. Anyone ever notice how many guys have been offered by Stanford, Notre Dame or Boston College? I bet there are more than a dozen. This was even before UNL became part of the B1G which will make recruiting kids like 4.0 first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America Sean Fisher even easier.
Great Job REXY