The term “gentle giant” seems to have been created for Jake Shoff.

The former BYU basketball player lost his life on Thursday in an auto accident on I-15.

His brother-in-law, former Cougar football player Ben Criddle, posted the following on X:

“On behalf of the Shoff and Criddle families, we share the sad loss of a giant of a man–a giant in every sense of the word. Our world has been flipped upside down. We are reeling and devastated. No words can describe the void we are all experiencing right now.

“Jacob William Shoff has left this temporal state and returned to his Heavenly Father who gave him life. Those who came in contact with Jake had the blessing of interacting with a singular human. Jake always left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those with whom he interacted. We are all better for knowing Jake. No one was like our Jake. No one can fill the massive shoes that he has left. His friendship was unmatched. He was an extraordinary sibling.. the best brother anyone could ask for. He was the ultimate father to Zach, Brady, Grant and Max. He was the most loving, caring and supportive husband to Emily. He was the best of us!

“Jake loved the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We take heart in the plan of salvation. We look forward with faith in the eventual reuniting of eternal families. Please mourn with us, please pray with us, but more so than anything else, please help us to commemorate and celebrate his life and the impact that he made on all of us in his 46 years on this earth.

“We invite you to respond to this post and share what you loved most about Jake or any special memories you had with him and about him. You can also send your memories via email to rememberjakeshoff@gmail.com. We are gathering any photos or videos you have of Jake and would appreciate you sharing your love and appreciation for him. At this time we can assure you that Jake would want all of us to “Rise and Shout” in this life! Seize the day! Make an impact in the lives around you! Love your friends and family! Let us all be more like Jake today and forever.”

Shoff was 46 years old and is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Emily Criddle Shoff, and four sons: Zach, Brady, Grant and Max. He is the son of Carl and Mary Ann Shoff.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward prepped at American Fork High School, served a church mission to Honduras and transferred from Weber State to BYU in 2001. He redshirted in 2001-02 and played in 62 games between 2002-03 and 2003-04, helping the Cougars to two NCAA Tournaments.

Shoff graduated from BYU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing. He was CEO of several business over his career, including co-founding Phoenix Recovery and Counseling Center to help those suffering from addiction.

Another former BYU basketball player, Jonathan Taverari, posted this on X: “I saw Jake Shoff on Tuesday at the BYU-Arizona game. As always, Jake stopped and we gave the biggest hug. Two massive dudes, like grizzlies, hugging. He told me he was proud of seeing me do well in business and also on ESPN and BYUtv, that I talked as quickly as I used to shoot. Jake was always around and saw me grow up. We talked about his family and his kids and work, he asked about Rafa (Araujo) and Lu (Luis Lemes) and Walter (Roese) – always about the BYU-Brazil connection – we hugged again and said let’s be in touch.

“Life is fragile. In a moment’s notice you can be in a great chat with someone you’ve known for 20+ years, and then next thing you know they’re no longer here. The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace in these moments. Grief and sadness are part of the plan. Keep the Shoff and Criddle families in your prayers. Love you, big fella! We’ll see you soon.”