Rarely can you say that a transfer decision saved someone's life, but for Max Lofy, that might truly be the case. After the 2024 Badger football season, Lofy decided to transfer to Rice University. It was in that process that a medical problem was happening with his heart that would require surgery and force him to retire from football. Now, he's back on the sidelines but with a much different look.
At 23 years old, Lofy went into heart surgery and came out with great news: everything worked out perfectly. However, he still wouldn't be able to play football; the violent nature of the sport could put him at risk. However, Rice decided they weren't just going to kick him to the stands.
His latest social media posts shows him on the sidelines, dressed like a coach, and wearing a headset.
— Max Lofy (@Mclofy) October 21, 2025
Max Lofy can now be seen roaming the Rice sidelines helping where asked
Lofy isn't an official coach, and he's not an official player according to their team pages. That doesn't mean the team doesn't want him to be around to help. Instead of simply hanging up his cleats and sailing off into the sunset, football isn't done with him yet. He may not be able to tackle or do the things he thought he would do this season, but he can still help.
His headset is a receiving-only headset, so he's listening in and learning in the process. It will be interesting to see if Rice announces him as a player assistant or a graduate assistant. However, right now, he's just helping where asked.
While the heart condition started with bad news for Lofy, it's been a series of good news for the former Wisconsin Badger defensive back. He's gone from medically retiring, to successful life-saving surgery, to now a team that hasn't given up on him and wants his presence on the sideline.