From Cancer To Lubbock: Luke Gonsioroski's tale of faith and perseverance

There are a lot of things in our day to day lives that weigh roughly eight pounds. A gallon of milk. A bowling bowl. A lap dog.

But how about a tumor in your chest? That's what Baker (Montana) quarterback Luke Gonsioroski discovered during track practice in the spring of his junior year.

He was having a hard time breathing, and a routine X-ray uncovered the massive lump on one of his lungs, putting life on pause for a guy that was excited to get his college football recruitment revved up.

Cancer would come first.

"When something like that happens during your junior year of track - you just kind of start stressing about the little stuff," said Gonsioroski. "Coaches are starting to recruit you after that signing day during your junior year goes by, and you're getting all these calls and wondering where you want to go to college, what you want to do - but then something like that hits and it really puts everything into perspective. It was kind of a whirlwind and just doesn't seem real."

Cancer is an ordeal that's even hard to theorize as an adult, let alone experience. So imagine how it must feel to be a teenager, the whole world and all of its wonders still ahead of you on the table just waiting to be journeyed, and being told it's all on hold.

But Gonsioroski didn't flinch. Faith in God was his guide through the most trying time of his life. After three rounds of chemotherapy, he was declared cancer free, but the eight pound tumor had to come out.

And the night before surgery, he snoozed like a rock.

"People were nervous before the surgery during the summer, but I slept eight hours before the surgery," he laughed. "I wasn't nervous. I couldn't explain it. I just knew I was going to be okay. I was focused on getting healthy and recovered and back into football. It definitely puts things in perspective, though. You definitely notice the sun rise or the little things in life you can take for granted every day."

So what do you do after having your chest cracked open to remove a tumor the size of a loaf of bread? If you're Luke, you get back to work.

He started throwing again, he started running again, and by the time the season opener rolled around, he was playing again.

For the first time in months, Gonsioroski felt normal.

"It was kind of a return to normal state. It felt so good running back on that field. It felt like I never left, either. That's what so many people up here wanted to know, too. I just told them that I never left. Then we had a big football season."

And while his battle with cancer was behind him, Luke made some special bonds along the road to recovery.

Enter former Texas Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet. As fate would have it, the two met a few summers back in Midland, as the Gonsioroskis were in the Lone Star State and made the trek out to West Texas to see some family friends once Luke finished up a football camp in Austin.

"I went to a University of Texas camp in between my sophomore and junior year. When we were there, we were going to see some family friends, and they lived in Midland. So Daniel Charbonnet, he had worked for that family friend. Through that, that summer there I got to know him. He then reached out to me when I got sick, so that was the first time that Daniel reached out to me, and we just kind of kicked it off ever since that."

What ensued was a friendship forged through tough times and football. Gonsioroski now considers Charbonnet to be a mentor, one who would help guide him through his recruitment after going through the same experience a decade ago.

"I mean, it's awesome. It's great to have a mentor like that, to guide you through the process that everyone is going to go through if you're going to play college ball. To have someone with all that knowledge to have gone through it and to have been so successful was just awesome. Then I'm a Christian, and he's a Christian guy. We have the same interests and values in life. It really helps to be on the same page in that regard. It's just been really good getting to know him."

This is where Texas Tech enters the picture. Charbonnet tipped off the staff about Gonsioroski, including head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who in turn decided to get in touch with the QB.

"Actually Coach Kingsbury reached out to me when I got sick, too. He just sent me a handwritten letter telling me he was hoping I would get better, and then he said he'd seen my tape. I remember something to that regard that he'd either seen my tape or knew I was a good football player. I just texted him and let him know that, 'Hey, I'll be good soon, Coach.' Once all that was resolved, I sent him a text and let him know I was doing great. I just kept updating and sending my tape to him, and the more and more interest they showed, the more and more interest I showed."

Kingsbury's well wishes during Gonsioroski's fight evolved into a legitimate recruitment once he was back on the field. Now that they've gotten to know one another, Luke holds the Tech head coach in pretty high regard.

"I think he's great in all aspects. I think he's a great coach. I think he's great for college football. I think he's a very high character man. For someone like that to reach out to me when I'm not feeling so hot up in Montana, which is a far ways a way, I was just so glad to have him reach out like that. It shows his character and what he stands for as a person. I think Texas Tech fans and the people in the community are really lucky to have him as the head coach."

And now? A preferred walk-on opportunity for Gonsioroski at Texas Tech.

He committed to the Red Raiders earlier this week, jumping at the chance to play power five football.

"A Big 12 offer was something I couldn't say no to," he said. "Just to have the opportunity is awesome. What Coach Kingsbury told me is, 'We're going to bring you in as a preferred walk-on. We're very optimistic, and this is basically the tip of the ice berg for you. I think you have a lot of potential.' He told me that he's going to give me everything that he's got. He said, 'I'm not going to treat you any different than a scholarship player. You're going to come down early like everyone else in June, and we'll see what you can do, get you on the weights.' I basically told him that I'm going to give him everything that I've got. I'm dedicated to being the best quarterback I can be."

But the most amped up person about Gonsioroski ending up in Lubbock might be Charbonnet.

"When I told him I committed to Tech, he was really happy. We've been in contact ever since I started the recruiting process, so he's pretty excited. He always wanted me to end up at Tech, but he always wanted the best thing for me, too. But, it's been fun with him. He's a great guy."

Life is funny. It throws curve balls at us, often conjuring up circumstances that aren't exactly ideal. But out of our struggles can often come some of the biggest triumphs and rewards.

A chance to play at Texas Tech came out of it for Gonsioroski, and that's all he's asking for. A chance.

"It's been a dream of mine to play big time football, so if you asked me to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say it's an 11. Just to have the opportunity is all I ask for. Just to have it, to have coaches believe in you and give you a fair opportunity, I'm going to do everything in my power to take full advantage of it."

I have no doubts of that.