Louisiana Tech RB Jaqwis Dancy diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Some sad news emerged from Louisiana Tech on Monday.
Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz announced that running back Jaqwis Dancy has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer.
“Jaqwis is in a different battle right now,” Holtz said. “All of our thoughts and prayers are with Jaqwis. He is constantly on our minds and in our prayers, with what we are doing as a football team right now. There is a dose of reality that we have a teammate and a family member that is fighting through a tough battle right now. For everyone on this team, it has brought a real sense of togetherness and appreciation for the blessings that we have on a day-to-day basis. We find a way to complain, moan and groan over the issues that we have. Now we have something close to home, a teammate in a battle for his life.”
The school said Dancy, a sophomore, learned of his diagnosis on Oct. 7, the day after Tech beat Western Kentucky. Holtz informed Dancy’s teammates a few days later and the team wore special helmet decals at UMass over the weekend on his behalf.
#Dogs4Dancy pic.twitter.com/8NnSHDWKuL
— LA Tech Football (@LATechFB) October 18, 2016
The school said Dancy’s cancer is treatable. Per cancer.org, the five-year survival rate for Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is 80 percent.
“Our No. 1 goal is to be there for Jaqwis during this time in his life,” said Louisiana Tech athletic director Tommy McClelland. “He has the complete support and love from all of us within the Louisiana Tech Family. He will be in our prayers as he battles this disease.”
Per the school, Dancy will begin treatment at St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis this week.
Dancy played in all 13 games last year as a freshman, mainly on special teams. He also had a 30-yard reception and two rushing yards. He has not played this season due to an ankle injury.
After starting the year 1-3, Tech has won three straight games. The Bulldogs knocked off UMass 56-28 over the weekend and will play Florida International on the road on Saturday.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
