On the football field, Adam Massman wore number 4. In the cattle barn, he wore a cowboy hat and a quiet, determined smile. Following the tragic passing of the 17-year-old Wisconsin senior, the tight-knit livestock community is coming together to celebrate his legacy with a nationwide memorial auction.
Bidding begins Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 a.m. for an online memorial sale honoring Adam Massman — a young showman remembered for the light he brought to the cattle barn and the support he gave to others. The sale will be hosted on SC Online Sales, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Massman family to help ease the financial burden of the tragedy and to help establish a fund that allows family and loved ones to honor his memory for years to come.
From the Gridiron to the Grand Champion Ring
Massman, a senior quarterback and defensive back at Alma Center Lincoln High School, sustained injuries during the Hornets’ season-opening football game on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. He tragically passed away two days later, on Aug. 22.
Beyond his success on the football field and basketball court — where he earned academic all-state honors — Massman found success in the show ring including winning the Bred and Owned Beef Steer competition at the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair.
Organizers of the auction say the loss has been met with an outpouring of support — from the show cattle community and beyond — including the number of people who gathered to say goodbye this past weekend.
Adam’s mom, Brianne, explains her son showed a knack for art when he was young. “We were always just like, wow, he’s really got a talent for this,” she says.
As he got older, that focus turned into determination on the field — and into a drive that also showed up in the show barn. “It was a great mix of talent and hard work,” Brianne summarizes. “And then showing cattle just blossomed for him.”
Friends describe Massman as tall, often in a cowboy hat, with a laid-back demeanor and a witty sense of humor. He had a soft spot for animals, especially his 11-year-old dog, Chocolate. In recent years, he excelled in the show ring. About seven years ago, he began working with Walsh Cattle in Lyndon Station, Wis.
“He pretty quickly became family and went pretty much everywhere with us,” Clayton Walsh says.
Walsh says Massman traveled widely with the crew. One of their favorite trips was the National Western Stock Show in Denver last January.
When Walsh first met him, Massman was shy, he recalls — but that changed as the years went on. “Over the last few years he really came out of his shell and kind of prospered and blossomed into kind of the young man that everyone kind of remembered,” Walsh says.
Brianne adds she has received stories from people who knew her son and from many who did not — including parents who say their children loved watching him show cattle and wanted to be like him. “The stories were just, just never ending,” she said. “I’m just so proud that he showed those qualities to other people.”
An Industry Answers the Call
To honor Massman, Clayton and Mesa Walsh decided to host an online sale on Sept. 4. Mesa Walsh says donations came quickly and from across the country.
“Within 30 minutes, I had just email after email and text after text,” she said.
The tribute sale includes more than 80 lots, including embryos, semen, sale credits, golfing packages and more. Organizers say many of the items reflect Massman’s interests — including semen from some of his favorite bulls and embryos he would have bid on — and that there is “something for everyone.”
“A huge thank you to everyone who has already donated, reached out, shared the sale, or shown interest,” organizers wrote in a post promoting the sale. “I’ve never been more proud of the industry coming together and the community, the amount of community support that’s poured into this family.
Brianne says the support has left her speechless. In addition to the livestock industry, football teams across the state took moments of silence before their games to acknowledge Adam. FFA students in official dress and athletes in uniformed also lined the streets following the Adam’s memorial service.
“They don’t have to bid on things,” Brianne says. “They can just show up and feel a part of Adam’s story.”
She adds many messages have carried the same theme: people may not have known him personally, but they are cheering for him — and for his family — now.
Brianne summarizes her family is leaning on their Christian faith during the hard time. Organizers say Sept. 4 was chosen because four was Adam’s favorite number and the number on his football jersey.
To view the lots and place a bid, visit the Adam Massman Memorial Auction on SC Online Sales.
