Bears offensive tackle speaks on overcoming cancer battle
Bears offensive lineman Shon Coleman is currently trying to make the final 53-man roster with the Chicago Bears. However, for him, this is not the biggest battle he has had to face in his life.
Bears senior writer Larry Mayer reported this very interesting story on Monday. Indeed, after being ranked as the top high school player in the state of Mississippi, Coleman signed a letter of intent with the University of Auburn in February 2010. Sadly, only a few weeks later he was forced to put his football career on hold after receiving a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
While he was told he had a great chance to survive cancer, it was still very scary and it could have been something that would have threatened his football career.
"It wasn't so much I was scared. I just knew it was going to be a major step backwards before I started to go to college and do everything an 18-year-old is supposed to do."
Coleman's leukemia went into remission in April 2010, only a few months after he started his treatment. However, he still had to undergo treatment for a full two years. He was finally able to arrive at Auburn in January 2011 and continued his treatment there, while still attending classes.
He was then able to play the sport he loved again and he excelled at Auburn.
Two years later, Coleman was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Browns. Appropriately, he hosted his draft party at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, where he received his cancer treatment.
This is such a nice story and I can't help but root for Coleman at this point!
