UNC WR Tylee Craft diagnosed with rare form of cancer

UNC WR Tylee Craft has a rare form of cancer. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina WR Tylee Craft diagnosed with rare form of cancer

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Mar 23, 2022 3:33 PM ET

North Carolina Tar Heels junior wide receiver Tylee Craft took to social media Wednesday to announce he's temporarily stepping away from the team after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

"To Tar Heel Nation, I’ve recently been struggling with back pain and it made it very difficult to get through the day, much less play football," Craft explained in a statement shared by Gregory Hall of 247 Sports. "It got to the point where we wanted to find out if something else was going on. After a visit to the hospital, we found out that I have a rare form of cancer.

"As a result, I’ll be stepping away from football to focus on this battle and we’ve already started chemotherapy, but I plan on getting back on the field as soon as possible."

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown offered his support for Craft via Twitter:

Tylee is a great young man, who is facing a tough situation, but we’re so proud of the way he’s handling it.

Tar Heel Nation, let’s rally around Tylee and his family and lift them up with thoughts and prayers as they begin the road to recovery. https://t.co/EiyCMfSbHt
— Mack Brown (@CoachMackBrown) March 23, 2022

According to Andrea Adelson of ESPN, Craft has played in 11 career games while with North Carolina. Four of those appearances came during the 2021 campaign against the Virginia Tech Hokies, Georgia State Panthers, Duke Blue Devils and Wofford Terriers.

"My family and I are in good spirits and we’re getting all the support we could ever ask for from the football program, the athletics department and the medical professionals here at UNC," Craft continued. "This part of my journey is just beginning and I’m ready to attack it head on. We appreciate all the support and thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers."

The Tar Heels begin the 2022 season versus the Florida A&M Rattlers on Aug. 27.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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