Former college football player passes away at 22 after battling cancer
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The college football community is mourning a former player who passed this week.
On Friday, Buffalo shared a message announcing the passing of former Bulls offensive lineman Dan Kubik.
We are deeply saddened to learn the passing of Dan Kubik. Our sincere condolences to his family, friends and teammates.
#ForeverABull pic.twitter.com/8hBr0JqcWO— UB Football (@UBFootball) June 17, 2022
Kubik’s most recent appearance on the Buffalo football roster was for the 2019 season when he was described as a walk-on who added depth to the offensive line. Kubik first joined the team in 2017, redshirting that fall. In 2018, he appeared in 1 game in a reserve role.
According to Rachel Lenzi of the Buffalo News, an official cause of death has not been given. Kubik was diagnosed with Stage 4 appendix cancer in the fall of 2020. Lenzi’s article notes that Kubik remained an active college student after his diagnosis, earning his college degree in nuclear medicine technology in May.
“For the position he was in, I thought he handled it very well,” former Bulls teammate Evin Ksiezarczyk told the Buffalo News. “It’s cancer. No one wants cancer. If you get told you have cancer, you think you’re saying goodbyes to everyone. But he did not take that approach to it. He lived his life to the best he could. That shows what kind of person he was. He wanted to be his true self, even while going through that.”
Kubik was 22.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
