Tylee Craft (October 1, 2001 – October 12, 2024) was an American

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player who competed as a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

(UNC) Tar Heels. Known for his involvement on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

and offensive plays, Craft joined UNC in 2020 after graduating from

Sumter High School Sumter High School is a co-educational four-year public high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Sumter School District located in the south side of Sumter, South Carolina, United States. With an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students, Sum ...

Sumter, South Carolina Sumter ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. The city makes up the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Sumter County, along with Clarendon and Lee counties, form the core of Sumter–Lee ...

Early life

A native of

, Craft was born on October 1, 2001. He attended

, where he was a standout football player. He accumulated 59 catches, 993 yards and 11 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons at Sumter. In his junior year, Sumter's football team had a 10–1 record and made it to the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.

College career

Craft appeared in several games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, contributing both on offense and special teams for the

North Carolina Tar Heels football The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the sport of American football or gridiron football. The Tar Heels play in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subd ...

team. However, before the 2022 season, he was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, Stage 4 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, which required him to step back from active play. Despite his illness, Craft remained closely connected to the football program, attending practices and offering support to teammates as a student coach throughout his treatment. He graduated from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

in May 2024.

Recognition and retirement

In recognition of his courage, Craft received the 2022 Disney Spirit Award, presented annually to the most inspirational player in college football. He was named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion team, honored as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Project, and nominated for the 2024

Capital One Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

-FWAA Courage Award. He was recognized by the

V Foundation The V Foundation for Cancer Research is a United States nonprofit organization that provides financial support for cancer research. It was founded in 1993 by Jim Valvano, a college basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster, with the aim of advancing can ...

. Although he hoped to return to the field, Craft announced his retirement from football in July 2024, focusing on his health and family.

Death and legacy

Craft died of lung cancer on October 12, 2024, at the age of 23. His death was marked by tributes from the UNC football community, including a ceremony during a game on Cancer Awareness Day. The team honored Craft by featuring his jersey number and continuing the "Tylee Strong" initiative. UNC announced plans to name a nutrition center after him, ensuring his legacy remains part of the university's athletic program. Coach

Mack Brown William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American former college football coach. Brown most recently coached at the University of North Carolina, where he had two stints, first from 1988 until 1997, and again from 2019 until his firing ...

had a close relationship with Craft.

References

External links

North Carolina Tar Heels bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craft, Tylee 2001 births 2024 deaths 21st-century American sportsmen American football wide receivers Deaths from lung cancer in North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels football players Players of American football from Sumter, South Carolina