FORTITUDE: Football player Cody Smith survived his battle with cancer.
By Kate Weggeland, Features Editor
From winning on the field to winning his fight against cancer, Cody Smith (12) has endured far more than the average high school student. The school cheered and chanted Smith’s name as he walked onto the gridiron he dreamed of returning to. As the applause grew, the past two years and all that Smith had struggled through flashed like a reel of film through his mind, back to September 14, 2011, when he was diagnosed with Germ Cell cancer and his world was flipped upside down.
While the average teenager dreads walking from class period to class period and longs for the school day to come to a close, Smith underwent chemo therapy and dreamt of returning to the crowded hallways and monotonous classes of high school. Leaving school to undergo treatment was hard for Smith, who had to adjust to frequent visits to the hospital, which left little time for schoolwork. He continued his curricular studies from the comfort of his home, studying for about an hour each day, if that. “Sometimes I had to skip even my hour school work, because I was
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in the hospital that day, or that week or weeks,” Smith said.
Undergoing treatment was one of the hardest aspects of Smith’s journey. Poly High School and the community at large joined together to support Smith in his fight. The involvement of his family and friends enabled him to get through his treatments. His chemo therapy wasn’t a walk in the park; the experience took its toll, as it left his body both physically and mentally exhausted. Smith knew that in order to get back to school and football, he needed to muscle through the pain.
Many people helped to motivate Smith to return to his mental and physical state before cancer. His parents, sister, and extended family were vital to his recovery, but those who gave him the most incentive to “muscle through it and grind [his] teeth through it was [his] football team.” “It was my whole goal to get back and play since the beginning. I knew that I needed to finish treatment, get back into shape and get back on the football field,” Smith said. The football team at Poly is like a family; when one man goes down, everyone gathers together to support him until he is back on his feet. For Smith, this was definitely the case. The football team held fundraisers to provide his family with money to fund his ongoing treatments. They rallied to support him in his fights against cancer, shaving their heads and wearing decals with Smith’s number, 45, on their helmets. The team also visited Smith’s house frequently, delivering home goods and bonding over Sunday morning football. “The team really came together to support me, and it helped me to stay motivated and to never give up,” Smith said.
The transition back to school is difficult for Smith. “School is a lot more work—a lot more,” Smith said. He returned to Poly on the first day of school this year. It was his first time stepping onto campus since his sophomore year two years ago. But it wasn’t just coming back to school for Smith that had such an impact on him; it was lacing up his cleats, putting on his pads, wearing his helmet and representing Poly with the number 45 on his jersey that brought his journey full-circle. Poly recognized Smith for his incredible determination and drive by chanting his name as the team ran out on the field for the first game of the season. Smith plays for Varsity, which is an incredible feat since he did not have the opportunity sophomore or junior year, due to his cancer. “All Cody ever talked about was football, football, football. His goal was to get back on the field with the rest of the team, and it’s great to not only have him in our heart that day, like we had last season, but actually have him on the field with us,” Evan Telliard (11) said.
Struggling through the pain and hurt that Smith endured on a daily basis for two years is unimaginable for most teenagers. What Smith conquered is a testament to his drive and determination to never give up. “I gained a different outlook on life. I gained a perspective on what is most important in my life. I learned to never sweat the small stuff, but to enjoy everyday while you still have it,” Smith said.