Clemson is getting a hopeful sign from one of its own as Hevin Brown-Shuler nears the finish line of his cancer treatment.
Dabo Swinney said this week that the third-year defensive tackle is almost through his chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. During an appearance on The Roar this past Wednesday, Swinney shared that Brown-Shuler is close to a milestone moment.
"We have a player who hopefully is going to ring the bell next Thursday, and I'm going to be there to watch it,” Swinney said during an appearance on The Roar this past Wednesday.
Swinney also said on the radio that ESPN's College GameDay had reached out to him about a feature story tied to this year's Palmetto Bowl. The segment will focus on Brown-Shuler and former Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer with liver lesions in May.
Brown-Shuler’s diagnosis came in mid-May, when he announced it through Clemson Athletics after doctors found a mass in his chest.
“Recently, after doctors discovered a mass in my chest, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma,” Brown-Shuler said. “While this news was difficult to receive, I am grateful that the prognosis is very good, and I am approaching this challenge with optimism and determination.”
The junior defensive lineman has been out because of the diagnosis, but he has remained around the program and stayed connected to the team. Over the summer, he asked defensive tackles coach Nick Eason to send him the playbook and let him take part in position drills.
“I’m also excited about just this season and just my part, what I can do to just help the team out in any way, shape or form I can,” Brown-Shuler said in May. “I know I’ve talked to Coach E about, just making sure I’m in the playbook, still staying on top of install, we have our skills and drills, just staying on top of everything.”
Now, with treatment nearly complete, Brown-Shuler is approaching the end of a difficult stretch that began before Clemson’s season did. The outlook has been positive from the start, and once chemotherapy is finished, the next step is recovery and eventually a return to the field.
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The postgame conversation centered on individual play and bigger-picture growth, with players talking through their own milestones and what the outing said about where Clemson is headed. For a team still trying to define its ceiling, a shutout like this can do more than pad a margin of victory, because it leaves the question of what kind of momentum it might carry into the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]