North Carolina

UNC football player dies from rare lung cancer, Tylee Craft was 23

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2024

UNC football player dies from rare lung cancer, Tylee Craft was 23

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft died Saturday morning following a lengthy battle with cancer, the school announced.

Craft, 23, of Sumter, South Carolina, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer on March 14, 2022. The UNC community had rallied behind him with the #TyleeStrong hashtag since his diagnosis. He had undergone numerous treatments, but the cancer spread through his body and brain. Still, he had enrolled in graduate courses toward his master’s degree in applied professional studies and graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science/sports administration.

UNC honored Craft during Saturday’s football game against Georgia Tech. It also happened to be the team’s annual Cancer Awareness Game. Friends and family members wearing shirts bearing Craft’s name and number were recognized during an on-field ceremony.

Wide receiver J.J. Jones wore Craft’s jersey with his No. 13 and last name during the game. Additionally, the UNC men’s basketball team wore shirts bearing Craft’s name and number for its intrasquad scrimmage at the Smith Center following the football game and had a pre-scrimmage moment of silence in Craft’s honor.

I think the family feels the love and they’ll continue to feel the love.

“This young man fought so hard for his two and a half years,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “The doctors told us he outlived what he should’ve. And he did it with the spirit, he did it with a smile on his face, he didn’t miss a meeting, he didn’t miss practice, he coached these other incredible young people.”

Brown told reporters he didn’t learn of Craft’s death until after the game but sensed something had happened after sharing an emotional hug with Craft’s mother at the end of the first quarter.

“I think the family feels the love and they’ll continue to feel the love,” Brown said. “What we’ve got to do is be strong, and pray for strength for us as leaders, to help these guys on the field and off the field. … So more than ever before I have got to step up and be stronger for them and make sure that I can help them manage the stuff and move forward in their lives.”

Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways we’ll always be thankful for

Craft had been struggling with debilitating back pain, so UNC’s athletic training staff took him to the hospital in 2022 for more testing to determine the cause of it. That’s when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. He immediately began an aggressive treatment of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

According to UNC, when Craft was diagnosed, his family said doctors told them he was just weeks away from dying.

In 2022, Craft was recognized with the Disney Spirit Award, presented annually to college football’s most inspirational individual or team. He was also one of five college athletes named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team that year.

“Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways we’ll always be thankful for,” the football program’s statement said. “He was 1-of-1 and, while he won’t be with us in body, he’ll be watching over us with his endearing smile and endless positivity.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Source link

Related Topics:15422305 Featured priority

Click to comment

North Carolina

Lower gas prices and open roads create ideal holiday travel conditions for NC travelers

Published

10 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Lower gas prices and open roads create ideal holiday travel conditions for NC travelers

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS0 — Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Thaissa Braga, a Florida resident who traveled by car to spend the holidays in Asheville.

WHITE CHRISTMAS UNLIKELY FOR MANY IN U.S. WITH WARM TEMPERATURES IN HOLIDAY FORECAST

“We thought we needed snow tires for the wheels and stuff, but it wasn’t anything like that. It was smooth sailing, not many accidents along the way. We did leave at 4:30 in the morning, so that was a little crazy, but it was worth it,” Braga said.

One plus for anyone traveling by car to their holiday destination this year is that gas prices are lower than they were last year, with the national average dipping below $3 per gallon for the first time in four years.

According to the same AAA report, which anticipates nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians traveling over the year-end holiday period, it also says that most of them travel by car.

DEC. 21, 2025 – Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

To help drivers get to their destinations safely and on time, the North Carolina Department of Transportation removed all lane closures where possible across the state through Jan. 2.

However, David Uchiyama with NCDOT says there are some areas in western North Carolina where the lane closures must remain in place, like the stretch of Interstate 40 going through the Pigeon River Gorge.

“It’s open with one lane in each direction, a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit, narrow shoulders,” said David Uchiyama, the Western Communications Manager with NCDOT.

Uchiyama is reminding drivers to plan their trips ahead of time, and he says one helpful resource is drivenc.gov.

DEC. 21, 2025 - Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

One person who planned for her trip is Asheville resident Emily Lamb; however, she’s flying instead of driving to visit her family in Ohio.

“Preparing for this trip looked like calculating my PTO for one. And then really comparing plane ticket prices and timing of things. And overall, just being intentional with any gifts I take home,” Lamb said.

According to the AAA report, over 200,000 of the North Carolina Holiday travelers will travel by plane.

ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT SHARES HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS AMID ONGOING RENOVATIONS

The Asheville Airport published holiday travel tips online, telling people to make a parking plan before arriving at the airport.

A helpful resource is their website, which has a map of their parking areas.

Source link

North Carolina

Life-threatening injuries reported after shooting on I-73 South near Wendover Avenue, Greensboro police say

Published

22 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Life-threatening injuries reported after shooting on I-73 South near Wendover Avenue, Greensboro police say

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — One person was left with life-threatening injuries in an overnight shooting Sunday, according to the Greensboro Police Department.

At 12:52 a.m., officers responded to a man down call at Interstate 73 South just before the Wendover Avenue exit and found one shooting victim with life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a local hospital.

I-73 South at Wendover Avenue was closed following the shooting. As of 10:22 a.m. Sunday, the road is still closed.

No suspect information was available.

The investigation is ongoing.

Source link

North Carolina

Seth Trimble returns to lead No. 12 North Carolina past Ohio State 71-70

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Seth Trimble returns to lead No. 12 North Carolina past Ohio State 71-70

ATLANTA (AP) — Henri Veesaar scored the winning basket on a dunk with 7.2 seconds remaining off a pass from a stumbling Seth Trimble, and No. 12 North Carolina held off Ohio State 71-70 on Saturday.

Trimble, playing his first game since breaking his left forearm in a Nov. 9 training mishap, wanted to shoot but tripped as he spun into the lane. As the senior guard was falling, he dished the ball to Veesaar, who slipped past his defender for the emphatic slam.

Ohio State had two chances to pull off the upset.

John Mobley Jr. missed a 3-point try, only to have Devin Royal grab the offensive rebound under the basket. He went back up ahead of the horn, but Caleb Wilson blocked the shot to preserve the win for the Tar Heels.

Trimble, who played with a wrap covering much of his left arm, and Veesaar both finished with 17 points. Wilson led North Carolina (11-1) with 20.

Trimble also did a stellar defensive job on Ohio State star Bruce Thornton, who was held to 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He came into the game hitting 60.2% from the field.

Royal led the Buckeyes (8-3) with 18 points.

Mobley put Ohio State ahead on a 3-pointer with 48.7 seconds to go, also drawing a foul that made it a four-point play for a 70-67 lead.

Trimble hit a drive in the lane to cut the margin, and Jarin Stevenson made a steal as Ohio State tried to get the ball into the frontcourt to set up the winning basket.

It was the second game of the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Kentucky defeated No. 22 St. John’s 78-66 in the opener.

Up next

Ohio State hosts Grambling State on Tuesday.

North Carolina is back in Chapel Hill to face East Carolina on Monday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Source link