Indians’ Howard shakes off cancer

DUNLAP, Tenn. — Sequatchie County’s Tommy Howard is happy about the opportunity to participate in a big high school football game. He’s even happier to participate actively in life itself.

As the defending District 7-AA champion and host of tonight’s game in Pikeville starting at 8 EDT, Bledsoe County (5-0, 1-0) looks to be a formidable foe for Sequatchie’s Indians (3-2, 2-0).

However, no enemy is as fearsome as the one against which Howard began a personal battle a few years ago. The current senior was in eighth grade when doctors informed him he had a form of stomach cancer.

“When they first told me, I was in disbelief,” Howard said. “I thought they were in the wrong room.”

As devastating as the news was for him, Howard said his first thoughts were of his parents. Worried about their feelings, he said trying to uplift their spirits was his biggest concern at the time.

Within two weeks of what a biopsy had revealed, Howard was undergoing chemotherapy injections into his spinal cord. He lost so much of his strength during that time, he said it was all he could do to get out of bed.

Once he began regaining strength and then seeing and hearing friends playing outside, he was ready to cure his cabin fever. His mother had to intervene.

“I had a Port-A-Cath in my heart,” Howard said, referring to a regulatory device. “I wanted to go play, but she was afraid I might rip the main artery out of my heart.”

Howard has steadily been on the mend. His wish of trying out for football came true last year when his doctors gave him permission.

The 5-foot-10 Howard is now a robust 235-pounder with two sacks this year and many more quarterback hurries while splitting time at noseguard with classmate Josh Potts (5-10, 215). Sequatchie coach Chad Barger said Howard recently ran a mile in 6 minutes, 48 seconds, and he can do a standing backflip.

“Me having cancer made me realize I faced death,” the soft-spoken Howard said. “You only get to live once. I’ve learned to live life all out. Make it work, and don’t have any regrets.”

Howard recalls fondly the times he was gone for a week to Camp Smile-A-Mile in Birmingham, Ala. It’s a program that allows children and adolescents with cancer to take part in outdoor activities and interact with each other. He met others there who felt the way he did, which led to incomparable therapy.

Howard has a twin brother, Dustin, who’s going through his own set of difficult circumstances. His troublesome knees need surgical treatment expected to start later this year.

Dustin’s ailments keep him from playing football, but not from being part of the team. The support system Tommy encountered at camp is akin to what the brothers have now with their teammates in the locker room.

“Football has helped him and his brother both,” Barger said of Tommy. “He’s kind of come out of his shell a little bit. They both have a tremendous upside. They’re good, hard-working guys. Tommy’s really matured and blossomed by playing football.”

His visits to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital for cancer checkups are changing from twice to once a year. The disease is in remission, but Howard can’t be cleared for another four or five years.

At present he and his teammates are scheduled to play a football game on a neighboring rival’s field with first place in the district on the line. Howard wants to help the team win all of its games, but there’s one victory he wants more.

“This game I think is going to be big,” Howard calmly said, “but everybody needs to realize it’s just another game.”

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653.