TAMPA, Fla. — In his own backyard, aspiring quarterback Tyler Harrison can be anybody — and sometimes he likes to pretend he’s Patrick Mahomes.

But while the rest of the Cambridge Christian High School football world practices and plays on Friday nights, Tyler is spending the season at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Over the summer, a pain in his leg turned out to be osteosarcoma, bone cancer, and soon after his diagnosis, 13-year-old Tyler began chemotherapy treatments. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Tyler Harrison, 13, is an eighth grader at Cambridge Christian and a member of the school's football team

  •  Harrison isn't able to play football this season after he was diagnosed with bone cancer over the summer

  •  He says a pain in his leg led to the diagnosis, and he'll be undergoing treatment at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg through February

But most of the time at home, Tyler is just himself, working on his game, trying to become a better quarterback by throwing the ball into a net.

“It helps me with my accuracy, helps me look off — like one way, then throw it another way,” Tyler said. “And also I can just work on my drops and my movement."

His cancer treatment caused him to lose out on participating in the football season — and he lost his hair — but Tyler says he sees this as a badge of courage.

“I kind of like being bald sometimes, cause it like feels good and stuff," he said, touching the top of his head. "And whenever I’m stressed, I can go like this and it feels good. It’s like therapy kind of a little bit.”

It’s that attitude that’s helped the Harrison family navigate their new normal. Tyler will be in and out of the hospital until February while he undergoes treatment. And the eighth grader has set the tone for how everyone around him is dealing with the difficult diagnosis.

“If Tyler wasn’t strong physically and emotionally, the entire family would be struggling,” Tyler’s mother, Kelli Harrison, said. “And because he is being so strong and he gets up with a smile, and is just a loving child and is just embracing this.”

He’s not in it alone, as the football community has shown up to support him. Tyler was a VIP guest at a recent Bucs practice where he spent time with Baker Mayfield and threw the ball with Mike Evans. And players from all over the Bay area and the country have dedicated their seasons to Tyler. 

“That made me feel amazing,” he said. “It really made me feel like I have a good community around me, and I just felt so comfortable and great.”

What Tyler says really makes him feel great is throwing the football. In between hospital stays during his treatment, Tyler gets as much backyard football time as he can. He says that is where he can forget about being sick, and where he lets cancer know he will not be defeated.

“Just have fun with the football,” Tyler said. “And it just makes be feel good being able to throw the ball.”