It's a very sad day in Chapel Hill.
Following the UNC football program's heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech, head coach Mack Brown announced that Tylee Craft passed away on Saturday morning following his battle with Stage 4 lung cancer.
It is with love and fond memories that we announce Tylee Craft has begun his journey on the other side.
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 12, 2024
Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways we’ll always be thankful for. He was 1-of-1 and, while he won’t be with us in body, he’ll be watching over us with his… pic.twitter.com/UutVS5QSKk
Since March of 2022, Tylee Craft has batted Stage 4 lung cancer. While his battle has been a challenging one, Craft never lost his love for the UNC football program, as he's been around the program as much as he possibly can.
On Saturday, Craft's teammate, JJ Jones, wore his jersey and scored a touchdown in his honor. The CW broadcast shows Jones pointing to the sky heading to the sideline. During the break between the first and second quarters, Craft's family was honored on the field at Kenan Stadium as Mack Brown and Craft's mother, September, embraced for a long, emotional hug.
Now, we fully understand why there were plenty of heavy hearts on the field for the UNC football program this afternoon.
Whenever Tylee Craft was around, you always saw him with a smile on his face, as he truly loved being a Tar Heel and a part of the UNC football program. You can tell how much his teammates love him just by how much they've supported him through this tough battle, one that he fought with everything he had in him.
Needless to say, Tylee Craft will be terribly missed, but we'll always be #TyleeStrong.
The Keeping It Heel team sends our thoughts and prayers to the family of Tylee Craft, including his UNC football family.