Friends, family, and the entirety of BYU honored the life of BYU basketball alum Jake Shoff at halftime of BYU's game against Kansas State on Feb. 15.
Shoff tragically died in a car accident on Feb. 6, leaving a hole in the hearts of all who knew him.
In his collegiate basketball career, the Alpine native played for the Cougars from 2001 to 2004, playing a key role in BYU's back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
After redshirting the 2001-02 season, Shoff made a name for himself by appearing in 57 games during his time at BYU. The center was known for his contributions off the bench, playing 10+ minutes in 19 games, including 10 of the last 11, and shooting an impressive .762% from the floor in his last eight games.
His most noticeable performance came during his senior year in a game at Santa Clara, where he played a career-high 28 minutes, grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, and scored 4 points.
Another highlight came in a game against Pepperdine, where he scored a personal-best 15 points, hitting all six of his shots, in just 12 minutes of play.
While most will remember Shoff as the large 6-foot-9 basketball player, some of his most meaningful contributions came from his endeavors outside of basketball, such as serving a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Honduras, as well as being one of the co-founders of the Phoenix Recovery and Counseling Center, which aimed to help individuals with substance use disorders and mental health issues.
Ben Criddle, former BYU football player and brother-in-law to Shoff, wrote on X:
Our beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, and everyone’s best friend, Jacob William Shoff, 46, was called to return home to his Father in Heaven on February 6, 2025, after a tragic car accident. He was a giant of a man in every respect, larger than life… pic.twitter.com/h1sr6iPM20
— Ben Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) February 10, 2025
In a following post, Criddle invited those who knew Shoff to share memories and photos with him at rememberjakeshoff@gmail.com.
"Jake had a gift for making each of his family members and friends feel like they were the most important person to him," Criddle wrote. "Thus, he is also survived by so many best friends and loved ones, each of us who feels the burden of grief and broken hearts with his passing.
"Nevertheless, we move forward with hope and faith, eagerly anticipating that joyous reunion in the resurrection, when we are all enveloped once again in that celestial Jake Shoff bear hug."
Shoff's legacy lives on through his wife, four sons, and the many individuals whose lives were positively shaped by him.