Upper Deck to create trading card of 7-year-old Nebraska star
Longtime sports card producer Upper Deck announced on Tuesday that it will release a limited edition "star rookie" card of Jack Hoffman, the 7-year-old brain cancer patient who ran 69 yards for the touchdown in front of 60,000 fans at the Nebraska Cornhuskers Red-White game earlier in April.
The sports memorabilia company posted a message to its Facebook page indicating that the card will not be released to the mainstream so as to "not risk Jack’s amateur status with the NCAA." The card will instead be released as a promotional rookie-card for Hoffman to sign and use for charitable purposes, according to Chris Carlin, the company's sports marketing manager.
"Jack is the type of inspirational athlete who absolutely deserves an Upper Deck rookie card. Upper Deck does not want to risk Jack’s amateur status with the NCAA so the card we created will not be part of a mainstream trading card release. Jack had a larger than life moment on the field that day for Nebraska which is why Upper Deck is creating a limited number of promotional blow-up rookie cards for Jack to sign and use for charitable purposes. Upper Deck is proud to play a small role increasing awareness in Jack’s cause and we are excited to be a part of ‘Team Jack!’”
The Team Jack Foundation, a website set up to promote the need for more research on pediatric brain cancer, will release instructions on how to bid on the limited edition cards in the coming weeks.
Footage of the play with Hoffman, No. 22, can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jmisv1Spck
