Cancer-Free, Meyers Makes His Return To The Field

Mitchell Meyers will make his return to the field on Saturday (Sept. 3 vs. Northern Iowa) 19 months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Meyers' courageous battle against cancer has been an inspiration to his teammates and coaching staff. He admitted the only thing that kept him going through two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment was a positive attitude.

"Being positive during this time was the only thing I could control," Meyers said. "I couldn't control whether the cancer was there or not. I couldn't control how I felt. The only thing I could control was my attitude. From my perspective, there was no choice. I was going to remain positive. At the end of the day, when things were really tough, being positive was the only thing I had."

Meyers, who started all 12 games during the 2014 season, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in February of 2015. He received chemotherapy treatment in Ames so he could be around his teammates, never missing a work out.

After finishing chemotherapy in Ames, he went back home to the Houston area for radiation in August of 2015. A scan found a little piece of cancer that had grown, delaying radiation treatments and forcing another round of chemotherapy.

In December of 2015, a scan revealed the cancer was gone and he underwent a successful stem cell transplant. He followed that with radiation treatment beginning in February of 2016.

Meyers returned to Ames in March of 2016 as an observer in spring practice. In June of 2016, he was cancer free and cleared to participate in summer workouts.

First-year Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has mentioned many times what Meyers means to his program. Last week, Campbell and Meyers' teammates named him one of four team captains.

"To me, Mitchell Meyers is one of the greatest stories in college football this year," Campbell said. "This young man has an upbeat spirit about himself and he told me right away 'I'm coming back to play. I'm not going to be just a story.'"

Thanks to being positive, Meyers won't be just a story. He's going to be a starter once again while trying to lead his team to victory.

"I was honored to be named a team captain," Meyers said. "I will do everything I can to live up to those expectations."

Cancer-Free, Meyers Makes His Return To The Field

Players Mentioned

Mitchell Meyers

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics

Cancer-Free, Meyers Makes His Return To The Field

Related News

Players Mentioned

Mitchell Meyers

Related Videos

Sponsors