Oklahoma Athlete Finds Strength In Community Amid Cancer Diagnosis

“I don’t let anything — like my emotions or what I’m feeling about the diagnosis — get me down."

Life can change instantly, and for 19-year-old Teyon Brewer, it has.

He’s played football since the second grade, and now his love for the game is helping him in one of the biggest tests of his life: cancer.

“With me playing defense, I think of it as an offensive lineman and I just got to get through the offensive linemen, but the offensive linemen is way bigger than me, so I try to get through it with everything I got,” said Brewer.

Less than a year ago, Teyon played on Muskogee High School’s championship football team, winning the school's first title in more than 35 years.

Now, Teyon says his days are filled with a different kind of fight as he gets chemo treatment for Stage 3 colorectal cancer, but he says giving up is not an option.

“Even though you might have the diagnosis it doesn’t change who you are,” said Brewer.

Teyon received a scholarship to play football at Missouri Western State University, but not long after starting school in the Fall, he fell ill.

His mother, Teyonda Ivy, says it all feels surreal.

“It’s actually rare," Ivy said. "The doctors said they’ve never seen it in someone so young with this type of cancer.”

Battle with Teyon is what Teyon’s mom, dad, and community are calling his fight against cancer. Teyon is also getting support from around the state.

He grew up in Taft, one of the few remaining all-Black towns in Oklahoma. The neighboring town of Tullahassee has stepped up to help him and his family by collecting donations for his medical expenses.

“It’s really important we help one another, whether it hits home and it’s your family, the family next door, the family in the community next door it doesn’t take much to support someone because at any moment it could be you,” said Rakisha Harrison of the Tullahassee Wildcats Foundation.

Teyon's mother says the support from the community means everything to her.

“It means a lot, the support, you really don’t know how much your kids loved until something tragic or something great happens,” Ivy said.

Through all his chemo treatment and doctor visits, Teyon has remained in good spirits. He says much of this is due to his family's strong support.

"I just think of it as another journey in my life or just another football game,” said Brewer.

Teyon is going through six months of chemotherapy; doctors will re-evaluate his treatment afterward to determine if surgery is necessary.

Tullahassee is hosting a Harvest of Hope 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Nov. 30 to raise money for Teyon's treatment.