It’s remarkable what troubles football players are willing to battle to get a chance to play on the gridiron. A promising young recruit is making his way back to the field after an extremely tough battle with cancer. RJ Boyd was diagnosed with the illness at the most crucial point of his prep career, which ultimately pushed back his entry to college football. Now, he’s coming back with a fighting spirit.

Boyd was due to join the NC State Wolfpack this year. But over a year ago, he was dealt the darkest possible reality anyone can come across. Last year, Boyd was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma. It kept him away from a season in high school. But he went through a regimen that drains the best out of people in his fight against cancer. “Over 50 rounds of chemotherapy and infusions, I could have given up. I’m back at it… God, thank you!” he shared in a post on X.

The fact that RJ Boyd is able to come back after an illness and treatment so severe is remarkable. He announced his unavailability for his senior season in August 2024, though he never really revealed his illness to the public. “[This] ain’t over yet,” he’d written along with that announcement. “[Be] on the lookout for me,” he also added. This was tough news to deal with at a crucial point in his career. Boyd had already committed to NC State in June that year. Ware County High stood by the young man as students came together to support their star RB.

Boyd is a 3-star RB and was the 96th best prospect in Georgia at the time of his commitment. He picked NC State despite having offers from programs like Missouri and Indiana. Duke fought hard to get the RB, but it was ultimately Dave Doeren’s win. Now, having come back after the toughest fight of his life, he is wowing audiences and coaches with his skill.

RJ Boyd’s comeback noted by his high school coach

Looking at Boyd today, you wouldn’t be able to make out the fact that he was dealing with something as brutal as cancer. Brett Steverson, his coach at Ware County, shared a jaw-dropping video of the RB lifting a whopping 225 lbs. “Way to battle and respond to unfair adversity @rjboyd56! Tough people win!” Steverson shared on X. Though Boyd’s return to college football remains unclear, he sure looks all fired up and ready for the challenge.

Ware County football also shared the video. “Way to go @rjboyd56!” read a message along with the video. Boyd ended his high school football career with 1669 yards on 248 carries and 18 TDs. He is yet to enroll at NC State, considering the battle he fought this past year. But Boyd seems to be a serious addition to the RB room at Raleigh next year. Hopefully, he’s able to keep the momentum up till then.

RJ Boyd will have his entry into college football sometime in the near future. He’s been through a lot at a very young age, and you’ve got to give him time to come back from something as painful as cancer. Boyd had not only braved the illness but also the treatment as well. He seems to be on a good recovery track already, based on his gym heroics!