Skaggs faces new battle

Justin Skaggs of the Utah Blaze knows what it's like to be an underdog. Against all odds, he scratched, clawed and worked harder than others who were more physically gifted to make it as a professional football player out of Evangel University, a small, Christian NAIA school in Springfield, Mo.

But now he's in a battle for something much more important than a spot on a football team. Over the next six weeks — and probably far beyond that — Skaggs will literally be fighting for his life.

It's a battle he vows to win.

After nearly two weeks of tests to find out what was wrong with him, Skaggs was informed Friday afternoon he has cancer.

"I have third degree brain tumors," Skaggs said in an interview on Monday, his daughter Abbie's third birthday. "I'll have six weeks of radiation therapy and chemotherapy — but it is treatable."

Rather than return to his home state of Missouri, Skaggs will stay in Salt Lake City. He will be treated at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

"They have great doctors and top-notch facilities at the Huntsman, so I'm sure I'll get great care there," he said.

Skaggs said doctors gave him a prognosis and a timetable, but he didn't want to get into that because he doesn't put much stock into what they say anyway.

"I'm an optimistic person and a hard-headed son of a gun, I really am," said Skaggs. "I don't care what the statistics say or what anyone says — I'm going to beat this. I don't care what the odds are."

Being a 28-year-old professional athlete who is in top physical condition can only help his chances, Skaggs believes. He was diagnosed early, too, as he had only recently starting showing symptoms.

"I hadn't felt right all year," Skaggs admitted. "But it was just a few weeks ago that I started feeling some numbness in my arms."

At the time he thought it might be a stinger in his neck or shoulder or that back problems could be what was causing the numbness. An MRI on his back was negative, however, and he was referred to a neurosurgeon two weeks ago.

While the official diagnosis had yet to be made, Skaggs' teammates were informed of his probable brain tumor prior to their June 6 game against Colorado. They dedicated the game to him — and then went out and pounded the Crush, 51-14.