North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft died Saturday morning after 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 since his diagnosis with the hashtag #TyleeStrong. He had undergone numerous treatments, but the cancer spread through his body and brain. Still, he enrolled in a master’s program in applied professional studies and graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science/sports administration.

UNC had 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 with Craft’s name and number were recognized during an on-field ceremony.

Wide receiver JJ Jones wore Craft’s jersey with his number 13 and last name during the game. In addition, the UNC men’s basketball team wore jerseys with Craft’s name and number for the intrasquad scrimmage at the Smith Center after the football game, and had a moment of silence in Craft’s honor prior to the scrimmage.

“This young man has fought so hard these last two and a half years,” UNC football coach Mack Brown said. “The doctors told us he survived what he should have done. And he did it with 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 felt 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 will continue to feel the love,” Brown said. “What we need to do is be strong and pray for strength for us as leaders to help these guys on and off the field. … So more than ever before, I need to stand up and be stronger for them and make sure I can help them take care of things and move forward in their lives.”

Craft was dealing with debilitating back pain, so UNC’s athletic training staff took him to the hospital in 2022 for more testing to determine the cause. He was then diagnosed with stage 4 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. He immediately began 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 death.

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

This report used information from The Associated Press.