26 Weeks After Battling Cancer, Colorado Football Player Announces Return With Coach Prime

Parker Rose was just 14 when he was suddenly diagnosed with Leukemia. Just a few weeks into his freshman year of high school, the Colorado native’s dreams of playing football, joining church activities, and spending time with friends were replaced by the harsh reality of chemo and treatments. While his family always knew he had the heart of a fighter, for his father, Wayne, and his mother, Laura, watching their son endure it all was nothing short of terrifying.

In September 2023, as Rose endured rounds of chemotherapy, his mother waited outside the door, 28 weeks pregnant and fighting her own battles. That day, doctors struggled to complete a procedure and were forced to poke needles into Rose’s spine five times. Laura’s heart broke with every attempt. Weak from severe anemia and overwhelmed by fear, she felt as though she might collapse under the weight of it all. The family survived those days by taking them one at a time. But now, after winning the battle against cancer, Parker’s football dreams have received a major push; thanks to Colorado Buffaloes’ head coach Deion Sanders, who understands the fight all too well after his own fight with bladder cancer.

During CU’s Fall Sports Media Day, ‘Coach Prime’ took to the podium, looking happy and cracking jokes. And before the formal press conference commenced, he was joined by Parker Rose. As the cameras rolled, the 16-year-old signed his national letter of intent to join the Buffaloes. It is an honorary commitment from the coach and the program. “C’mon, let’s sign it, let’s go. C’mon, you with me, man,” Sanders encouraged Rose as he signed the papers. Once that was done, the Buffs soon took to their Instagram account to share the news: “Honorary NLI signed. After 26 months of chemotherapy our guy @parkerrose4474, is officially hitting the football field again.”

Signs that something like this was about to happen were already there. For instance, Rose spent his 16th birthday, back in January, with the team. He was their IMPACT teammate. “A part of the herd. We were honored to have our Team IMPACT teammate, Parker Rose, at the We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase. Hope you enjoyed the VIP experience — your presence continues to inspire us all!” Colorado football wrote on X, also with snapshots of Rose with the Buffs’ players.

However, that was hardly the first time he had celebrated with them. His presence was undeniable at multiple Colorado games last season. He would celebrate with the whole team in the locker room after big wins. And seeing Parker Rose smiling due to all those amazing experiences only made his mom happier.

In April, she took to her Instagram account to thank CU Football and Team IMPACT for helping her son chase his passion once again.

Seeing her son follow his dreams after a lengthy cancer battle lifted a burden she had been carrying for the past few years. Last year, she had explained how traumatic the cancer diagnosis was for the entire family. Those hospital visits and cancer treatments, along with sleepless nights, had left a painful mark on her mentally and physically. The emotions she felt while shaving her son’s head after he started losing hair had broken her.

But one night in November 2024, she understood that “my body was not just a vessel, but a mirror reflecting my innermost feelings. It was a testament to the resilience and strength I had shown in the face of adversity. It was a reminder that while the mind can try to forget, the body remembers. So, I let the water wash over me, cleansing not just my skin, but my soul.”

It was a moment of acceptance. And while the family will remember the trauma they went through, Parker Rose’s smile when he holds the football will only make their victory against cancer sweeter.