West Virginia Wesleyan RB Khalil Smith now a two-time colon cancer survivor
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (BVM) 鈥� The last few years have been a trying time for Khalil Smith. The 21-year-old has been a part of the West Virginia Wesleyan College football team since 2019, but most of his impact on the program has come through his hard work and dedication off the field, not on it. That鈥檚 because the former Bobcats running back hasn鈥檛 beaten cancer once, but has done so twice over the past two calendar years.
Cancer is a terrible disease and brings with it a difficult situation for all people involved. The same can be said for Smith and his cancer journey as it intercepted his football career with it.
During his first season in 2019, Smith played sparingly, recording 10 carries for 19 yards, one catch for three yards and three total tackles. Not anything amazing but not bad for a Division II true freshman.
鈥淭ransitioning, meeting the team and getting accommodated to the college life and dorm life my teammates made that easier for me,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲hen you come in as a freshman, these dudes are probably the biggest dudes you鈥檝e ever played with. It can be a little intimidating at times, but you just got to believe in your potential because they wouldn鈥檛 have recruited you if you didn鈥檛.鈥�
Unfortunately, Smith would be dealt a difficult hand during the spring of his sophomore year.
鈥淭owards the end of the season, I noticed I was losing weight and they were asking, 鈥楢re you going to the weight room?鈥� and I鈥檓 like, 鈥榊eah鈥� but I kept losing weight like two or three pounds a week,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲hen I came back in the spring time for practice I felt like I was going to pass out all the time. We鈥檙e going through spring workouts and I just didn鈥檛 feel like myself鈥 started off my freshman year I was 185, by the time I got home [due to COVID canceling on-campus school] I was 160.鈥�
On May 14, 2020, Smith was given news that would flip his world upside down. That day, Smith was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, the most severe stage of cancer, which usually means the cancer has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body.
鈥淭he doctor walks in and says, 鈥榊our CT scans have come back and it looks like you had three tumors in your body and one of them ruptured so you were bleeding internally, but we don鈥檛 know for how long.鈥� So I鈥檓 just sitting there wide-eyed like, 鈥榃hat鈥檇 you say to me? I have three tumors in my body, how is that?鈥欌�� Smith said. 鈥淭he first thought that goes into my head is like how am I supposed to tell my parents this, my dad this, my family this? Everything changed so quickly. I was just at school now I鈥檓 in a hospital.鈥�
May 14th an emotional day I could never forget. On this day last year my life changed forever I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. Thank you to ALL who supported throughout this long and stressful process. I am beyond Blessed…. 馃枻馃挋
— Khalil smith (@khalil_smith7)
It was devastating news for a person who had long used their body to help them achieve their goals. Now, it was his own body that was letting him down.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 sleep, I didn鈥檛 even have any words for it, it was astonishing for me,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭hroughout that whole process I was going through so many scans, blood work, anything in the book they were doing trying to figure out what types of tumors they were鈥hey told me I was at stage 4 colon cancer. I鈥檓 looking up the percentages and it says survival rate is 50-50. I鈥檓 like 鈥�50-50?鈥欌��
May 14 marked the beginning of a long journey for Smith. The 20-year-old would undergo surgery to remove all the masses on May 26. That would be the start of what would be a months–long battle with cancer that included 12 chemo treatments. This was at a time where hospitals were heavily restrictive during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing Smith to go through much of the experience on his own or with limited family members.
The hashtag #SMITHSTRONG became a rallying cry for many around Smith including family, friends, teammates, coaches and WVWC community members. During the months of chemo, Smith would push his body as hard as he could while trying to stay in good enough shape to make an eventual return to the field.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to have such strong support from everywhere just off a hashtag that is so simple but it means so much more,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淢y coaches, my teammates, especially my dad, my friends and my family, I appreciate them to the fullest extent.鈥�
After six long months of battling, Smith was declared cancer free on Nov. 25, ringing the bell to recognize the landmark moment.
RANG THAT BELL馃枻
— Khalil smith (@khalil_smith7)
After clean bills of health and two successful surgeries in December and January, Smith was able to do the near impossible 鈥� be cleared to play. With the 2020 fall season being moved to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith had an opportunity to make a return to his team.聽
On Jan. 29, 2021, Smith was named one of the team鈥檚 for the spring season thanks to his commitment to the program through his difficult journey. On Feb. 3, 2021, he was cleared to lift with no restrictions. Though he was never able to make it back onto the field due to a port being placed in his body, Smith was as close as he ever was to making his return.
鈥淢y first scan I was super nervous, but they were like 鈥業t鈥檚 clear. We don鈥檛 see anything,鈥欌�� Smith said. 鈥淪o I was able to go back to school, but I鈥檓 still not able to play football at this time because I had the port implanted鈥 wasn鈥檛 able to play football but I was able to be around the team, lift with the team and run with the team. I changed my diet. I was in one of the best shapes of my life and I was ready to get back in the fall.鈥�
Unfortunately, the good times wouldn鈥檛 last long as Smith鈥檚 recovery would again be dealt a blow. On June 8, Smith discovered that his cancer had returned, once again putting his football career and life in jeopardy.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a good feeling [about it] at all,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淗e was like, 鈥業t looks like a tumor has returned in your colon and it looks like you鈥檙e going to have to get surgery again and go through chemo treatments again.鈥� I was literally standing where I was at and dropped down to a knee like, 鈥榃hat do you mean? How is this possible? I followed your directions, I did everything you told me to do and it鈥檚 back?鈥欌��
The last couple weeks have been pretty crazy for MY FAMILY & I. I have been working with my doctors and doing tests for the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately my Cancer has returned and it is shocking. I believe everything happens for a reason and I just ask for support through
— Khalil smith (@khalil_smith7)
Once again, Smith would undergo surgery to remove the cancer on Aug. 16, setting his cancer journey back to square one. Once again, Smith would keep his friends and family posted through his 12 chemo sessions on his After 24 total chemo sessions, Smith was able to ring the bell for a second time, declared cancer free once again.
鈥淔ebruary 17 was my last chemo treatment and I got to ring the bell and stuff like that and that was another moment of relief like I鈥檓 finally done,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a scan coming up very, very soon probably in March so it鈥檚 the same process over and over and over again.鈥�
My Coaches, and teammates been with me through it all can鈥檛 wait to get back on the field
— Khalil smith (@khalil_smith7)
While he likely still has a long journey until he can get back on a football field, for Smith to be in the spot he鈥檚 in is incredible in and of itself. As he continues to work his way back, he will continue to inspire those thousands of others impacted and affected by cancer. With his goals still within reach following his second clean bill of health, Smith is out to prove that truly anything is possible.聽
鈥淲hy I tell my story and why I share so much of my information for people is not for the views, not for the likes鈥 had the opportunity to teach people about a disease they didn鈥檛 have to deal with,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淜nowledge is power so if your grandparents, parents, anything were to happen you know鈥eople just wanted to hear and see what I was going through so that鈥檚 the main reason I share my story. A lot of people say I鈥檓 the strongest person they know and that鈥檚 crazy to me because I was just trying to get through it.鈥�
