DALLAS, Texas (KTSM) – A scholarship has been established to honor the memory of Luke Laufenberg, a UTEP tight end and son of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg.
Luke died last week following a two-year battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2017.
After being declared cancer free at the end of 2018, Laufenberg was offered a scholarship to play football at UTEP. While Luke never got the opportunity to play a regular season game with his teammates, UTEP made an impact on the Laufenberg family. They’re now looking to “pay it forward” to future football players.
“Being a scholarship football player at @UTEPAthletics meant so much to him,” Babe Laufenberg wrote in a tweet. “In his memory, we are establishing the Luke Laufenberg ‘FIGHT’ Scholarship Fund, which will help deserving students.”
You can honor Luke’s memory and make a contribution to the fund by clicking here.
The impact of Luke’s life and death was felt across the nation — and in the heart of Cowboys country. Dallas Head Coach Jason Garrett became emotional on the podium last week as he spoke on Laufenberg’s death during his daily news conference.
“You walk into the room and he’d just light up whatever was going on,” Garrett said, holding back tears. “It’s such a tragedy; it’s so hard to understand…I will forever be inspired by the life he lived.”
Luke Laufenberg was 21.
