King eager to return after cancer battle
BUFFALO TWP — He threw only three passes and ran the football once in limited action as a sophomore, playing behind senior Garret Schaffhauser, in 2019.
But Garrett King was ready to take over as Freeport quarterback as a junior in 2020.
Then life threw him a curve ball.
Big-time.
King missed a preseason morning practice for a doctor's check-up. He was informed he has testicular cancer, getting the news days before the Yellowjackets' season opener.
“I came back and broke the news to the team that afternoon,” King recalled. “That was tough, but we needed other players to step up in my absence.”
King stepped up and fought cancer.
He dealt with a few 15 to 20-minute outpatient treatments. He went through a few weeks of occasional chemotherapy treatments as well.
“Garrett knew what he had to do and he did it,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “He showed what a special leader he is right there.“It means everything, getting him back. He's galvanized this entire team.”Senior tight end-outside linebacker Cole Charlton remembers the day King delivered the shocking news to his teammates.“Man, we were all devastated,” Charlton said. “I mean, who can see that coming? We hit the bottom there for a while.“Then, the way he was handling everything ... We just wanted to play for him since we knew he couldn't be out there.”As much as he wanted to be, King couldn't even be around the team much.He attended a couple of games last season, but with COVID-19 still being prevalent and his auto-immune system compromised, he had to be extra cautious.“I had to keep my distance from everybody, sort of be off by myself,” King said. “But at least I was there.”When he wasn't there, he still didn't miss a game.'“I saw every one,” King said. “If I couldn't go, I watched it on live-stream. My teammates always kept me informed about what was going on at practice, too.“They made sure I was still part of the team. I'll never forget that.”Still, King wasn't on the field. The 2020 season was not the same.“It felt weird,” he admitted. “I grew up on this game. For the last eight years, much of my life was about football. Just like that, it was gone.“Believe me, I appreciate the game, my teammates, my coaches, the atmosphere around here, far more than I did before.”The Yellowjackets no longer have to remember what it was like when King wasn't there.“I can't describe what it's like to have him back,” senior receiver-defensive back Vincent Clark said. “Garrett's our leader. He brings us together.“We all trust each other. We trust our line. We trust our blocking. We trust him. He's an all-around quarterback who can run or throw. He's the kind of kid who makes football fun for everybody.”King will continue to get checked out medically every two months for the next five years through blood work, CAT scans and chest X-rays. But he remains cancer-free and is back in the game.In terms of college football, King is undecided. He wants to see how the 2021 season plays out first.But he feels the positive vibes.“Everyone is buying in right now,” King said. “We have to stay healthy and committed, believe it can happen.“The talent on this team is being compared to the 2015 Freeport team that got to the semifinals before losing to Aliquippa.“I know there's a lot of hype surrounding me right now. Before long, I'm hoping there's a lot of hype surrounding our team,” he added.
