Tiger Den: Kyle Frazier Gets His Wish

10/19/2020 4:43:00 PM | By: By Joshua Peacock

From cancer to quarantine, Kyle Frazier kept his head up

Savannah State freshman defensive tackle Kyle Frazier is getting more than one wish granted this fall.

On Monday, October 26, Kyle will be featured, along with his entire team, during the NFL Monday Night Football game between his favorite team the L.A. Rams and the Chicago Bears. It is part of a wish he made.

Kyle's journey through the last year has been arduous.

In February of 2019, Kyle's life after high-school was falling into place. The Augusta, Georgia native signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Savannah State and was a few months from his high-school graduation.

But life was about to toss him a very unexpected curveball.

Kyle stepped out of the shower after a workout in April and felt a lump on his neck. He immediately showed his mother Kenya—a cardiovascular technician at a nearby hospital. She felt the lump and asked if it hurt. He said there wasn't any pain; her heart dropped.

Kyle thought it was just a bacterial infection and that it would go away. Kenya knew it was more serious.

They immediately setup a doctor's appointment and biopsies were scheduled. Lying in the hospital bed, the doctor delivered the prognosis. It was as Kenya feared: Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Kyle broke down. His first question to the doctor was if he would be able to play football again. The doctor left the room without answering and for the first time, Kyle felt scared.

The doctor returned with a cadre of other doctors and they explained to him that the cancer was treatable and there was a high survival rate. There was a good chance he'd play football again. His optimism returned and he went straight into treatment.

According to the American Cancer Society, Hodgkin's Lymphoma typically presents in people in their 20s. There were 8,480 new cases in 2020, the majority of which were males. The five-year survival rate is around 86%, especially if it's caught early. Treatment consist of several stages, all of which Kyle went through beginning in the middle of May.

They did three surgeries, including two biopsies. One of the surgeries removed a golf-sized lymph node from his neck. Then he began chemotherapy—a pill they call the red devil—for four hours every other Friday.

After chemotherapy, he started radiation for 30 straight days. He missed his high-school graduation. He missed the final days of his high-school experience at Glenn Hills High School. He was forced by the treatment out of physical activities. He lost weight and at times grew depressed.

For four months, Kyle focused on getting healthy and beating the demon in his body. Finally, in August, a PET scan revealed the cancer was in complete remission. On August 23, Kyle rang his cancer free bell. Another PET scan this summer confirmed the remission.

"There was times when I fell into dark places," Kyle recalled. "You see your friends going off to college. You see guys graduating and going to football practice. I couldn't continue to go to high-school. I didn't get to do a senior day and things like that."

Kyle Frazier, middle, on the line at Savannah State football practice on Oct. 19, 2020.

Kyle's unbridled optimism has carried him through the trials of the last year, even when earlier this summer he faced missing yet another football season after it was suspended due to the pandemic.

"There was something good behind it," Kyle said of his bout with cancer. "The journey, even though it was hard and vigorous, it was just amazing. I don't know what to say. I just took it day by day."

Kyle was not with his team in 2019 during their historic victorious season. But in the spring of 2020, cancer-free, he enrolled in classes at Savannah State and strapped on his pads, a white No. 93 jersey, his orange pants and blue helmet with the Tiger head proudly displayed. He stood at the edge of the field, with his Savannah State football gear on for the first time, ahead of the spring game, and the waterworks began.

"I had been waiting for that moment for a while," Kyle said as his voice cracked. "Even when we were on the field and coach would mention our names, that right there just sent me. I am getting emotional now."

Kyle took advantage of summer classes to catch up on the missed fall semester and improved his GPA to a 3.8. He's majoring in biology and wants to be a physical therapist after graduation.

Encouraged by family members, Kyle started doing CrossFit over the summer and during the quarantine to regain his strength. He used his sibling for weight training and wrote messages to himself on his shoes so every time he looked down he would be encouraged by what he had already conquered.

During his bout with cancer, he had made a wish with the Georgia Make-A-Wish Foundation to visit with his favorite NFL team, the L.A. Rams.

Last week, his wish was granted but with an adjustment due to the global pandemic.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Rams will feature Kyle as a part of their Crucial Catch Captains program. The NFL's Crucial Catch mission is to fight cancer through early detection and risk reduction, according to the NFL's website.

During the Oct. 26 Monday Night Football Game on ESPN, a cardboard cutout of Kyle will be in the stands as a part of the Crucial Catch Game.

When told the news, Kyle insisted that every one of his teammates be included as well. The foundation and the Rams honored the request and will feature cutouts of the entire Savannah State football team alongside Kyle.

Along with being featured at the game, Kyle will receive a customized Rams jersey with a Crucial Catch Captain's patch.

Kyle has also become a spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Along with his teammates on the defensive line, he was celebrated in a virtual candle lighting event recently, where he became an Honored Hero. In August of this year, he helped raise $2,000 for the society in their fight for cancer awareness and treatments.

On Monday, Oct. 19, Kyle and the entire Savannah State football team opened up fall practice. This semester, Kyle will learn Savannah State's defensive system and earn his spot at the line, preparing for next semester and the return of live football games.

Frazier is ready for it, cancer free, optimistic and proud to finally be wearing the blue and orange.

Gallery: (10-26-2020) Monday Night Football Cardboard Cutouts