Getting to know Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough's inspiring story
In a 2020 study by the NCAA, 1,006,013 high school athletes participated in the sport of football. How many transferred over to the collegiate level? 73,712. About 2.9% made it to a Division I program.
The latest statistics on breast cancer in the United States shows about 13% or 1-in-8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. The 2021 expectation is about 281,550 new breast cancer diagnosis across the 50 states.
Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough happens to be 1) a Division I student-athlete and 2) going through his, along with his family, own experience with breast cancer with his mother.
"My mom is a 16-year breast cancer survivor - stage four," Shough said. "Really the Lord has been the driving factor in her life so that's where I get my inspiration. Once I got to college my relationship with God strengthened."
Shough said it's a never-ending process for him to get closer to Jesus. He plays and lives for his parents and God.
When he was around seven or eight years old his mother, Dana Shough, was diagnosed and given nine months to live. Going through treatment and being so ill, the children including Tyler were not allowed to be around her as much as they would have liked.
"She was given like eight or nine months to live but she was given a trial drug, which is now the standard for treating breast cancer, and it helped her a ton," Tyler said. "She was one of the first ones to get it. She had her moments but from there she was at every baseball, football practice and game. She never stopped supporting the family."
Tyler said his mother also never missed school. She was a sixth grade and junior hight teacher until she was forced to retire due to her sickness.
Tyler and his teammate, who's also a transfer, TJ Storment connected quickly and both attend Hillside Church in Lubbock. Tyler mentioned attending service is important to him and growing close to his teammates with his family still located in Arizona.
However, don't expect his family including his mother to miss a snap in Lubbock. Tyler left these words for those dealing with the same or similar situation that he's grown with:
"Her strength and her courage inspires me every day," he said. "Honestly, to all breast cancer patients, survivors, or families - there's nothing you really can say to make it better. And there's nothing you really can say to change anything. The only thing there is to do is be there for them like how my mom is there for me. You can't take that for granted."
