Matt L. Stephens

The Coloradoan

Not everyone has to cheer for CSU, but how can you not root for the Rams' biggest little fan?

In August, we brought you the story of 8-year-old Jack Miller, a Colorado State University fan from Louisville battling brain cancer. He's a kid who's been through some rough times with eight surgeries in his young life, operating on his tumor and heart defect — not to mention regular chemotherapy treatment.

Miller, now 9, is an honorary member of the CSU football team, has his own customized jersey and even gave the Rams a motivation preseason speech to get them ready for last year's Rocky Mountain Showdown.

His tumor has prevented him from being able to play tackle football, but this week, Miller got something most college athletes can only dream of, his own trading card.

Working with the Friends of Jaclyn foundation, Upper Deck developed a rookie card for Miller, who's listed as a 4-foot-1 running back. It won't be available for purchase when fans pick up a pack of cards from a local store, said Upper Deck sports marketing manager Chris Carlin, because the company hopes "Jack may end up playing for the Rams someday and if his cards were in a product sold for a profit it could put his amateur status in jeopardy."

It will be given away with a donation to Friends of Jaclyn and used with fundrasing events.

"We loved the story you did on Jack Miller awhile back, it was one of the reasons we selected him as our first trading card recipient under our new program with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation," Carlin said. "Keep this brave young man in your thoughts and prayers."

Upper Deck also created a card for Jack Hoffman, a Nebraska fan with pediatric brain cancer who became famous for scoring a touchdown during the Huskers' spring game in 2013. Proceeds from the sale of Hoffman's card helped raise more than $50,000 for the Team Jack Foundation for pediatric brain cancer research.

Follow reporter Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.