For Wadsworth freshman Colin Campbell, the start of the 2026 high school football season meant a little more. The 14-year-old played in his first high school game on Aug. 20 in a 26-14 loss to Green on the freshman team. That the Grizzlies lost was immaterial. Campbell has battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia the last 612 days, so just being able to play the game he loved again was enough. "I've got my brothers by my side, my teammates, my family," he said. "They really got me through the hard days when I was struggling. "
The darkest days for Colin Campbell in his fight against leukemia A bone bruise from wrestling sent Campbell to the emergency room a little under two years ago, as did strep throat. When his airpath started to close, doctors looked further into what was happening. At 11 a.m. Dec. 17, 2024, doctors determined he had leukemia, and the fight began. "That day was terrifying," his mother, Kelly Campbell, said. "It was one of the scariest days that I've ever had to experience. " The fight to return to the field has included many rounds of chemotherapy through a port that goes directly to his heart.
The return to the field for Wadsworth's Colin Campbell He's in maintenance treatment right now, which has allowed him to return to the field. That maintenance treatment includes another round of low dose chemotherapy on Aug. 21. "It's been a whirlwind," his father and Wadsworth athletic director Tim Campbell said. "It's been ups, downs, lefts, rights. Today is kind of the culmination of it. Today, seeing him play the game he loves and being on the field is definitely a proud parent moment. " It was tough to say who was more excited for him other than mom or dad.
Green brought a banner that read, "We stand with Colin. " Black shirts with a camouflage grizzly paw that had a C in it and the words "Colin's Crew" were all over the stands. Both teams kneeled after the game with Colin standing in the middle as a show of support, and everywhere you looked cameras filmed the day. "I was definitely nervous, especially with the cameras out here," Colin said. "I kind of had to shut out the cameras and shut out everything. "
What Colin Campbell means to those around him Varsity coach Justin Todd made sure he and the varsity team were there to celebrate the moment. Freshman coach Chris Beery marveled at the five-tackle, one quarterback pressure performance middle linebacker Colin churned out despite only being back on the field for 17 days. "This is a positive story of a young man who perseveres and has grit," Todd said. "That's what this is about. It's someone that is overcoming something every day. That's modeled from mom and dad. Colin did what he had to do. This is a family that didn't allow the circumstances to get them down. They rolled with the punches every day, relentlessly. "
"This is inspiring for not only me, but the other kids," Beery said. "Coach Todd preaches that you have to take advantage of every moment in high school. That's the perfect example. The kid missed his entire eighth grade year and here he is playing with his friends. He's a phenomenal kid. It's great to see him back out here. " There's even better news to the story. Doctors have told him he'll be in full remission on May 16, 2027, and will be able to ring the bell to signal he's cancer free in front of family and friends. "It'll be amazing," Colin said. "It'll be great knowing I'll be able to go in every day, knowing I'll just be a 'normal' kid. " Brad Bournival can be reached by email at bbournival@usatodayco.com and is on X at @bbournival. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Wadsworth's Colin Campbell an inspiration after 20-month cancer battle
