UNC player Tylee Craft dies at 23 of lung cancer; teammate scores touchdown wearing his jersey

Earlier this week, members of North Carolina's shot team visited teammate Tylee Craft, who was transferred to hospice attraction amid his conflict with lung cancer.

Prior to their crippled Saturday, the Tar Heels paid tribute to him. During the game, Tar Heel receiver J.J. Jones scored a touchdown portion wearing Craft's jersey.

After its crippled against Georgia Tech, the squad recovered retired Craft had died earlier successful the time astatine the property of 23.

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Head manager Mack Brown, left, of the North Carolina Tar Heels embraces September Craft, parent of North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft, during the archetypal fractional of a crippled against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets astatine Kenan Memorial Stadium Oct. 12, 2024, successful Chapel Hill, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)

"We conscionable heard that we mislaid Tylee Craft this morning," an affectional Mack Brown said aft the game, wearing a "Tylee Strong" shirt.

Brown said the squad had learned Craft had "two days to 2 weeks." So, connected Thursday, players "all ran to spot him, hugged him, talked to him and laughed with him."

"We didn't cognize if helium was going to marque it this greeting earlier the game, and you person to fig retired however you're going to archer a radical — what a hard happening to archer a radical astir 1 of their champion friends," Brown added. "It's a very, precise hard clip for them. We told them to get with our intelligence wellness people, their friends, their parents."

The North Carolina Tar Heels instrumentality the tract earlier a crippled against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets astatine Kenan Memorial Stadium Oct. 12, 2024, successful Chapel Hill, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)

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Craft's parent was at the pregame ceremony. Brown said she hugged him "and cried hard aft the archetypal quarter, truthful I figured it wasn't good."

"Tylee meant truthful overmuch to truthful galore and affected america successful ways we’ll ever beryllium thankful for. He was 1 of one, and, portion helium won’t beryllium with america successful body, he’ll beryllium watching implicit america with his endearing grin and endless positivity," UNC said successful a statement.

Brown announced the school's nutrition halfway would beryllium named aft Craft, and officials had told Craft earlier helium died. He besides said receivers privation to rotate wearing Craft's jersey for the remainder of the season, opening with Jones connected Saturday.

North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft (13) walks the sideline during the 2nd fractional of a crippled against Minnesota Sept. 16, 2023, successful Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

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Craft played successful a combined 11 games for UNC successful the 2020 and 2021 seasons and was diagnosed successful March 2022.

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