SAN ANTONIO — Former Madison High School football player Aydin Hoffman was killed in a far northeast side shooting, the San Antonio Police Department said.
The incident took place around 12:30 a.m. Monday in the 13800 block of O'Connor Road. Police said Hoffman and a passenger were in the car when they crashed into a barrier next to the Whataburger on O'Connor.
Officers believe Hoffman was shot at a nearby apartment complex, but they couldn't find any signs of a shooting.
Hoffman, 19, was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in serious condition. Police did not report if the passenger was injured. The Bexar County Medical Examiner confirmed Hoffman died hours later as a result of his injuries.
"Aydin was a great kid who worked extremely hard," Madison football coach Blaine Pederson said Monday night. "He was a really big part of our football program. He was one of our team leaders. The kids all looked up to him.
"He was a great player for us on the field, but he was better kid off the field as well. I don't know any of the details to this whole situation, but he's definitely going to be missed. The Madison community is definitely going to be mourning the loss of Aydin for sure."
Pederson learned of Hoffman's death while vacationing with his family in Colorado.
"We were getting ready to go to the mountain and do a little skiing when some texts starting coming our way," Pederson said. "Everything was late (because of bad cell-phone reception). I couldn't respond to people. It was kind of bad."
Hoffman signed with West Texas A&M as a senior in 2019 and was on the Buffaloes' roster as a tight end this season.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Aydin Hoffman during this tragic time," West Texas coach Hunter Huges said Monday in a statement released by the school. "Aydin was a leader on and off the field and was loved and respected by his teammates."
Hoffman was an all-district tight end for the Mavs as a senior during the 2018 season. Madison overcame an 0-2 start and went undefeated in District 27-6A play, winning its first league title since 2012 and finishing 9-3.
Pederson recalled that it was Hoffman who stepped up and rallied the Mavs after a road loss to Austin Bowie dropped them to 0-2.
"We had a team meeting that night after we got back to school and Aydin said, 'We're not going to lose again,'" Pederson said. "We went on win nine straight games. Aydin was a great kid. I really liked him a lot."
Madison's turnaround season – the Mavs had finished below .500 for four straight years – ended with a 56-35 loss to powerhouse Austin Lake Travis in the second round of the playoffs.
Madison Athletics shared via Twitter on Monday that it is "deeply saddened with what has happened over night and this morning. Our hearts are with Aydin, his family, his friends and our community."
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