Sometime in August, the Oregon State football team will get back on the field in preparation for the upcoming 2014 season. Despite losing star receiver Brandin Cooks to the NFL Draft, and an early outlook that is hopeful at best, Beavers fans should at least find some excitement in following quarterback Sean Mannion’s inevitable pursuit of school records.
Yet, sometimes football isn’t all about the records; it’s not always about the statistics. Regardless of what the critics of coach Mike Riley will tell you, football isn’t even always about the wins and losses—at least not the ones that show up in the standings.
Sometimes, football is about personal triumph. It’s about the refusal to quit, and the heart to keep working even when others advise giving up. For some, like offensive lineman Drew Clarkson, football is about pursuing dreams even as the dreams seem to fade away.
Drew Clarkson, a senior out of Camas High School in Washington, is a three-star offensive lineman that committed to Oregon State last week. However, his journey—from a 4A high school in Washington to Reser Stadium and a scholarship to play PAC-12 football—was nearly derailed in March of 2013, when the 17-year old experienced pain in his testicles that caused him to seek out a doctor’s advice. Initially, the doctor told Clarkson not to worry about it and that everything was fine, except Clarkson didn’t believe the doctor for a second. He knew his body, and he knew that the pain he was feeling was something, even if the doctor could not identify it. He insisted that the doctor take another look at his testicles, and the results were jarring.
Drew Clarkson had Stage 2 testicular cancer.
In an interview on the Jim Rome Show, Clarkson explained that the doctors wanted to wait for six months to monitor the condition before deciding if chemotherapy would be needed. Yet, Clarkson understood that if he waited for six months and then began chemotherapy—a process that is incredibly taxing on the body—he would likely miss his senior season of football. With his dreams of playing Division I football quickly fading, Clarkson approved immediate removal of the affected testicle with subsequent chemotherapy sessions to follow.
Chemotherapy is one of the most painful experiences that an individual can go through, accompanied by numerous medications that leave the body exhausted and sick. Drew Clarkson, at 6-foot-3 and 275-pounds, worried that the condition would erode both his size and strength, and leave him unable to play Division I football even after the illness was defeated. To combat this fear, Clarkson would hole up in the weight room, training both his body and mind for the arrival of his dream, even as the chemotherapy treatments drained his stamina and his hair fell out.
Clarkson’s efforts were rewarded as he was able to lead his team to Washington’s 4A State Championship Game. He told Jim Rome that, despite both his personal success and the team’s success, he was only playing at an average of 75% throughout the season due to the treatments and fatigue.
Drew Clarkson is now cancer-free and ready to contribute on Oregon State’s offensive line. When Jim Rome asked Clarkson why he chose Oregon State, Clarkson explained that the atmosphere in Corvallis was like that of a family. Supporters of Beaver Nation should not be surprised by this, as Mike Riley has been known to conduct his program in a manner that cares less about wins and more about the development of young men.
When his time with Jim Rome was up, Drew Clarkson, the 17-year old who had recently overcome the challenge of cancer, humbly thanked Jim Rome for the opportunity to speak to the country. Jim Rome deferred, stating that the privilege was all his, a sentiment that Beaver Nation surely agrees with.
Sometimes, football is not about the wins at all.
Sometimes, it’s about overcoming challenges, and developing the mindset that dreams are meant to be pursued—regardless of how unfair the cards of life have been dealt.
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