Son of Former Cowboys QB Babe Laufenberg Dies of Cancer at 21

Luke Laufenberg battled cancer for nearly two years.

Luke Laufenberg, the son of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg, died on Thursday morning after nearly a two-year battle with cancer. He was 21 years old.

"Today we lost a son, a brother, a friend, and a warrior," Babe Laufenberg wrote in a post on Twitter. "Have never seen a person battle like Luke Laufenberg, but he lost his fight with cancer. He was truly inspirational. The hole in our hearts will never be filled. You are my hero. RIP my sweet Luke. See you on the other side."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, a longtime friend of the Laufenberg family, struggled to hold back tears as he spoke briefly with reporters during Thursday's press conference.

"Luke was an amazing young man. You guys have heard me talk about ‘Fight’ a lot. I don’t know that I’ve ever a better example of that in my life," Garrett said. "What he’s gone through the last couple of years, the spirit that he had every day. To battle through it, to always be thoughtful about the people in his life – ‘How’s my mom doing, how’s my dad doing, how’s my brother doing?’ Amazing."

Luke played at Mesa Community College before getting diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in 2017. He was declared cancer-free in May 2018 but had since battled complications.

Babe Laufenberg started six games for San Diego in 1988 joining the Cowboys. He was Troy Aikman's backup in 1990 before moving on to a successful radio and television career in Dallas.

"It’s such a tragedy, and it’s so hard to understand,” Garrett said. "But I know that I will, and anybody that ever knew him, will be forever inspired by the life that he lived."