In the end, Zachs decision came down to two schools: Arizona State University and Stanford. The rookie coach made an early impact on his players. His brain was later studied at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where researchers diagnosed him with Stage 2 (of 4) CTE. "He was excited about Colorado football and Northern Colorado. Hoffpauir passed away on May 14, 2020, and was honored Friday by his alma mater during its game against Hamilton. Zach also began seeing mental health professionals. I mightve just fallen on my knees and cried, Doug Hoffpauir said, holding back tears. The morning it happened, Zach was at home with his father, Doug Hoffpauir. Back home, Zachs parents could see just how much their son was hurting underneath and after his 21st birthday, he had a failed attempt to take his own life. People from all walks of life were invited to his Peoria, Arizona, service to pay respects and remember the honor it was to have known him. Doug agrees that the news of CTE being present in Zachs brain isnt surprising. Shannon Hoffpauir is on Facebook. Those are the problems Zach knew he had while he was alive. Zach would come back to Arizona, medically retired from football. He finally found his direction. (Photo byMary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News). At times, you just didnt know what you could do to help him. Ask Amy: I put a security camera in my room, and what I saw was creepy, Ask Amy: My fiancee's family says I'm not invited, and she's going without me, The dad whose wife and child were among 5 killed by a neighbor in Texas describes how the massacre unfolded, 'Total dominance': Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed, Mortgage fees to rise for buyers with high credit scores, fall for those with lower scores, Kurtenbach: Steph Curry built the Warriors dynasty. He was the definition of a natural athlete. Zachs physical and mental health were failing him. Two Zach Hoffpauir danced well and danced often. Throughout high school, Zach never touched alcohol. From the moment we could sit still in our mothers arms, we have loved stories. All rights reserved. I came back somewhere around 11:30, I was really tired and his door was still shut. It made so much sense. It was a moment of celebration but also melancholy as Doug and Shannon Hoffpauir led a crowd to the middle of the Centennial High School football field. After the attempt, he began finding healing through a combination of medication, therapy, and self-reflection. Following tragedies, Central High School finds comfort in its football community, That morning (May 13) I went to go fishing, said Doug in a Sports360AZ documentary, Zach Hoffpauir: The Real Story. I got up at 3, we talk a little bit. While Zachs official cause of death is an accidental overdose, Zachs mother, Shannon, feels that even this label is disingenuous. He played for one season before hanging the cleats up for good. I got to know him after the freshmen football season was over, cause he also started on the varsity basketball team at point guard as a freshman. That morning I went to go fishing, Doug recalls. It wouldve been great to see him here, he said. This expanded into his coaching career as well. At that time, we didnt bring freshman up (to varsity), but he probably couldve played on the varsity team as a freshman. Now, his family is trying to help others with his story. Many people have several pieces of the puzzle, yet they have no idea how it all fits together in the greatest love story ever told. . Zach also started coaching back at Centennial High. The pills had been laced with fentanyl, according to a report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiners office. . AddThis Utility Frame. Douglas A Hoffpauir, 62 . Are you or someone you know struggling with lingering concussion symptoms or possible CTE? It was May 14, 2020. He was our he was kinda like our heartbeat honestly, he was the personality of the team.. He worked hard, boosted morale and was incredibly kind, said Casey Sawyer, marketing manager for the Portland, Oregon, suburb-located Hillsboro Hops. He made his return to baseball in 2018, once more splitting time between Montana and Oregon. h2c2o4 dissociation equation . He quickly made a name for himself on the Centennial freshman football team. . CLF is a Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Organization, In a September 2019 interview on Untold,, in a 2021 documentary from Sports360AZ about Zachs life. He goes I would love to go fishing with you and papa but I have too many video things going on today with school. So the last thing we talked about I just said, Zach I love you, and he goes Yeah, I love you, too.. Sometimes he had so much love for other people, said Christian McCaffery, Zachs Stanford football teammate at the celebration of life. The next morning, Hoffpauir did not wake up. Mary Shannon is a powerful Bible teacher and author, whose great love for Jesus and for Scripture inspires her audience to get their face in the Book! Her background is rich with spiritual upbringing rooted solidly in the Bible. Despite picking Stanford, Zach held a close relationship with Graham, who told Zach that he would love to have him coach for him one day. Despite never having Zach as a student, she knew him well during his time there. He just brought more energy and juice out of me.. . Hed suffered numerous concussions and he was tired. But Im sure, you know, Zachs looking down on us and know(s) that hes been honored., From The Hill To The Mound: Playing Ball Is Break From Political Brawl, The White Stuff: He Can Run, He Can Catch And Hes Key To ASUs Game Against UCLA, ARIZONA DAILY INDEPENDENT LLC Contact Us: 6929 North Hayden Road C4 #291, Scottsdale, AZ, 85250 (520) 906-8081. One of the most common is his attention to everyone he had a connection with. If it was not for his close friend and former football teammate at Stanford, Christian McCaffery, Zach may have never learned the real source for all of his mental health issues. Now all of a sudden, sports became a business, Doug said in the Sports360AZ documentary. Copyright the Concussion Legacy Foundation. All the things you try to instill in your kid, he was doing that. That research will be valuable to future generations. He broke the mold and spent his life helping others do the same no matter what kind of mold they were supposed to fit into. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The diagnosis helps explain why Zachs mood and behavior changed so much once he left college. Their brains should be pristine. Mary Hoffpauir is 54 years old today because Mary's birthday is on 03/05/1969. He had a shorter fuse and he snapped at friends and family more quickly. In the documentary, Hoffpauirs mother described a world in which her son lived into middle age. This wasnt included in the documentary because both of the following projects are under development. Following tragedies, Central High School finds comfort in its football community. Zach Hoffpauir Family Zach Hoffpauir was the son of Shannon Hoffpauir and Doug Hoffpauir. He couldnt fight this alone. Work: Phoenix Christian Unified Schools - Treasurer. That Zachary got to go out as Zachary.. After the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Hoffpauir took a year off from football to spend a season playing minor league baseball. At least not in his eyes. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News). Before moving to Douglas's current city of Waddell, AZ, Douglas lived in Glendale AZ. Because if he had to, he would challenge you and he would step up and say, This is not right.. After Stanford and the finality of not being able to play beyond college, he struggled with what to do in life, said Doug Hoffpauir. This is the real story of Zach Hoffpauir. Zach noticed it. Its always surprising when you see multiple lesions in the brain of someone so young, McKee said. In school, Zach was loved by many that knew him for his wit and his engaging personality. He told Shaw how he had identified the most important quality in any great coach was not discipline, communication, or any tactical trait. By the time he reached his forties, its possible he couldve developed Alzheimers or other brain-related diseases. Doug Hoffpauir said the opportunity provided a new spark in Zachs life and thanked McCaffrey for taking a chance on his son. It was really riddled with CTE lesions.. Manoj, who has worked as a freelance videographer for Riccio Productions, ZAP Entertainment and Harvard University, is working in the Phoenix Sports Bureau. Before that, he was a standout at Peoria's Centennial High School. All he ever wanted to do was make people proud, and he did, Hillary Hoffpauir said. To the casual onlooker, it would have seemed Zach had life all figured out. This narrowed his choice to two colleges: Arizona State and Stanford. (Courtesy of the Hoffpauir family), Zach Hoffpauir, center, smiles for a photo with his mother, Shannon, right, and sister Hillary. He returned and won back his starting position at free safety, and had a strong start to the season before two concussions in back-to-back games ended his season and ultimately, his football career. We were celebrating his accomplishments not knowing that it caused a lot of pressure for him to perform.. The sad thing about it is that Zach loved this: People, fun times, this is who Zach was. Statistics. In Lose Control, Shannon Hoffpauir takes you on a six-week journey through the Book of First Samuel, which is an epic story about a fight for control. That was his heart.. And we connect in weaknesses.. The loss of identity was hard enough, but Zach also endured his parents divorce, his grandmothers lung cancer diagnosis, and a breakup in short succession after he left Stanford. I was able to see, even in his brokenness, he was such an influence on people, Shannon Hoffpauir said. This documentary sets the story straight and expands on Zachs journey from childhood to mental health struggles in adulthood to the lasting impact he had on others. 31 painted near the 31-year-line. I havent recruited in 32 years a person that had the character that Zach had, Graham said. To wrap this up, I want to say thank you to everyone who made this story possible to tell. FREE Background Report for Douglas B Hoffpauir in Peoria, AZ (Arizona) Douglas B Hoffpauir is 54 years old and was born in August of 1968. My testosterone levels were almost gone. He survived a suicide attempt in 2019. People sometimes assume they are violent, superficial and emotionally immature. It was not meant to be, however, as Zach would hang up the gloves for a final time and head back to Arizona.