Preston Weeks was a healthy 26-year-old with no prior health complaints who was coaching football just a few months ago. But one persistent sore on his tongue got him to check up, and when the diagnosis came back, it was a devastating diagnosis: oral cancer. And as the former Baylor QB undergoes major surgery, his family is reaching out for support. 

“Former Baylor and SFA quarterback and current Henderson coach Preston Weeks is currently undergoing a major 12-hour surgery in his battle against cancer,” Texas Football Life reported on X. “Please keep Preston, his family, and his medical team in your thoughts and prayers today.”

Preston Weeks’ stage 3 oral cancer diagnosis came unexpectedly. According to his family, he had always been “the picture of health.” But one sore on his tongue became the start of a journey that would change his life forever. His sister-in-law, Kristine Weeks, shared the story through a GoFundMe campaign. 

“When a sore appeared on his tongue, he thought it was nothing serious,” the GoFundMe page read. “Later, swelling developed in his neck, and after a round of antibiotics, the sore still didn’t heal. A biopsy revealed the unimaginable: cancer, which had already spread to his lymph nodes and neck.”

The treatment plan is brutal. As the page stated, Preston Weeks is undergoing a mandibulectomy, a major procedure in which surgeons split his jaw, remove tumors, and reconstruct portions of his jaw using plates. He is expected to lose two front teeth during the process. Doctors will also transplant a blood vessel from his arm into his neck as part of the reconstruction. But the surgery is only one part of the challenge. 

According to his family, the next six to twelve months will be very challenging. Once the operation is over, Preston Weeks will face weeks of treatment and recovery. His treatment plan includes radiation therapy five days a week for seven weeks, according to his medical team. Even after that, regular checkups and cancer screenings will become part of his life. His wife, Emily, and their family are now turning to the community for support. 

“Preston does not have health insurance and cannot enroll before his urgent surgery,” the page read. “The cost of his medical care will be significant, not including the everyday expenses of keeping his home running while he is unable to work… We want to relieve the financial burden on Preston and Emily so the cost of cancer does not affect them for the rest of their lives. Any support, prayers, or donations are deeply appreciated.”

Friends, former teammates, fellow coaches, parents, and strangers have all stepped forward. Currently, the fundraiser has raised 91% of the $50,000 goal to assist Preston Weeks, who is fighting a fight he never expected to face. 

The response has been overwhelming. Former teammates from Baylor and SFA, Henderson Middle School parents, and Texas football fans across the state have donated. The fundraiser’s momentum shows how a local coach’s fight has become a regional cause.

Preston Weeks described the moment reality hit

“It’s definitely a life changer, dealing with something like this,” Preston Weeks admitted. “My speech started to slur a little bit, my tongue started to swell, and it just wasn’t getting better… I was told I was at stage three, possibly stage four, based on where it’s already in my lymph nodes.”

Many Texas football fans may remember Preston Weeks from his playing days. Before coaching, he was a standout QB at Rowlett High School, joining Baylor in 2018 as a redshirt freshman before transferring to SFA the next year. After his playing career, he worked simultaneously as a coach and a teacher at Henderson Middle School. 

“I love seeing kids grow,” he said. “I’ve always been part of a team, and I try to find the positivity and happiness in it.”

That team mentality may be what carries Preston Weeks through the months ahead. But if there’s one lesson football teaches, it’s that the toughest fights are sometimes fought one day at a time.