Brandon Thomas, linebacker who lost leg to cancer, commits to Eastern Washington football
Brandon Thomas has snapped his sport-specific prosthetic lower leg so many times, his father Devon Thomas recently joked that he would need to restock before college.
After Brandon Thomas' long battle back onto the field from fighting cancer, it's a trivial problem the Thomas family sees as a blessing. It means he still has football to play.
On Tuesday, the Central Valley (Spokane, Washington) senior announced his commitment to Eastern Washington, which completed a long, emotional journey and made good on his childhood dream to play college football.
"I'm an Eag!" he tweeted with a highlight-laden video announcement.
On paper, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker has put together an impressive varsity football resume.
As a senior, Thomas recorded 119 tackles (17 for loss), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for touchdown.
But his three all-Greater Spokane League selections — first team as a senior, honorable mention as a junior and defensive league MVP as a sophomore. He's spread 278 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two touchdowns and a pick-six — alone don't tell the full story.
Thomas was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in early 2020. While much of the country was shut down in the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas was in the fight for his life.
He spent more than 100 days in the pediatric oncology unit at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, where he eventually faced a dilemma: undergo surgery amputating his lower right leg to salvage a chance at playing football again, or forgo an amputation and give up a shot at playing football again.
"I think about the impact I can make on people, just by (my) work ethic," Brandon told SBLive in 2021. "If you’re dedicated enough to something you love, and work on it enough, you can accomplish a ton. I want people to realize my story, and the choices I made to better myself. I want to prove my work ethic and the choice I made didn’t set me back."
The nature of his commitment isn't immediately clear. Thomas was not among the nine class of 2023 prospects that signed with Eastern Washington on Feb. 1, nor was he one of the 19 who signed during the early signing period in December.
His older brother Josh Thomas played basketball at Eastern Washington from 2017-19. His father, Devon Thomas, played football at Louisville.
This is a developing story.
—
Lead photo by Erik Smith
