Jenks Football Coach Battles Cancer Before Playoffs

The Jenks Trojans are scheduled to host Southmoore Friday night in the first round of the 6A playoffs. The Trojans wrapped up regular season play with an 8-2 overall record.

As the team prepares for their battle Friday, their assistant coach prepares for a battle of his own. Cornerbacks coach Bryant Calip found out that he had a type of blood cancer right before the season got underway. Calip said, “You're just thinking about what you can do to help the kids learn the game faster, and then you get diagnosed with something that you aren't ready for. You just have to revamp. It's been a rollercoaster year.”

The coach was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that causes cancer cells to accumulate in the body's bone marrow, where they then diminish healthy blood cells. Thankfully the cancer is treatable.

Despite going through chemotherapy, he has only missed one game. The Coach mentioned that being on the field helps him keep his mind in a good place. Calip said, "Staying normal takes your mind off it. I see these guys, and go through my normal routine. It takes my mind off the cancer. The big deal is just to stay normal, because if you don't stay normal you start thinking about stuff that you shouldn't be thinking about."

Calip has received a lot of local support from the community. Jenks High School has held events to service as fundraisers for the fight against his illness. The school's basketball program hosted a hoops versus cancer scrimmage to help raise donations.

Jenks junior Dillon Stoner said, "I'm learning a lot from him, [on] how to face adversity. Life obviously isn't easy, and just looking at him, I know he's going through a tough time, but he's not really acting like it at all."

The Muskogee Roughers freshman football team also helped raise money to assist the coach in his standing battle. The team raised $1,000 to help pay for what his insurance doesn't cover. Calip stated, “You expect some people to help you, but not a freshman team from Muskogee. Sometimes you play them and they're you're rival, but it was a blessing."

The community has stepped up and helped collect over $20,000 for the coach. "It's been unbelievable, the love that this community has shown to me. You thank God for communities like this one, because when you're down, sometimes you're by yourself. But, me and my family, we can't say that. They've really picked us up, and really shown us love,” said Calip.

Coach Calip has kept a positive mindset about his fight against cancer, and hopes to be done with treatment January of 2015.