Following Saturday’s loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown announced that Tylee Craft has passed away.
Brown told both the media during his postgame presser and Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network that he passed this morning after a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer. He was just 23 years old.
Brown said that he did not learn about the passing until after the game, but that he knew something had happened based on the long hug that he received from Tylee’s mother, September, when they honored Tylee during the first half of game. According to Brown, each of his teammates had the opportunity to see him at the hospital and say goodbye this week. Wide receiver J.J. Jones wore Craft’s jersey on Saturday as a tribute to him, a notion that just means so much more now that we know about the timing of his passing.
Earlier this week, Craft received his Master’s Degree from the university which was given to him by wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway, who had taken him under his wing as a player coach this season.
Craft was diagnosed with a rare form of Stage 4 lung cancer back in March of 2022. Following his diagnosis, he would undergo intense chemotherapy and would eventually return to the Tar Heel sidelines. He remained a part of the team all the way up until his passing, becoming a player coach earlier this year when he stepped away from the field as a player. He said that he hoped to return to the field one day and we would like to think he has one this Saturday.
Everyone here at the Heel Tough Blog would like to extend our condolences to Craft’s mother, September, as well as the rest of his family and loved ones. Tylee’s fight was an inspiration and will have an impact on Tar Heel athletics, especially the football program for years to come. RIP Tylee. #TyleeStrongForever
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