Avery Henry has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
The Ohio State freshman offensive tackle announced the diagnosis in a tweet Monday night, vowing to fight the disease the way he’s always fought adversity in his life and thanking his Ohio State teammates and coaches for their support.
This isnt the way I wanted to release this, but I know no other way. A couple days ago I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. I will fight this! I have never been a statistic and I never will! I want to thank my brothers and coaches for the endless support!
— King_Henry2.0 (@AveryHenry731) December 19, 2022
The Mayo Clinic describes osteosarcoma as “a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones.” It “tends to occur in teenagers and young adults, but it can also occur in younger children and older adults.” Per the Mayo Clinic, “treatment innovations for osteosarcoma have greatly improved the outlook (prognosis) for this cancer over the years.”
Henry, a three-star recruit in the class of 2022, is in his first year as a Buckeye. He enrolled at Ohio State this summer and has not played as a true freshman, leaving him with four more years of eligibility after a redshirt season.
In an interview with Eleven Warriors last summer, Henry talked about how he wants to be an inspiration for others after slimming down from 400 pounds to 305 pounds while in high school, leading to his late rise as a recruit and the opportunity to play for Ohio State.
“A lot of people see, ‘Hey, he's a three-star’ and they don't expect a lot,” Henry said. “I'm going in knowing what I can do. I'm going in knowing that I'm one of the strongest guys. I'm going in knowing that I'm fast, as fast as these guys and faster. I think it helps me a lot, because nobody's ready for what I can do yet. And I think once they see, they’ll all think, ‘Wow, he should have been ranked higher.’”
Upon announcing his diagnosis, Henry immediately received messages of support from many of his current and future Ohio State teammates and coaches.
We with you bro Love you https://t.co/EQZXQqnyH4
— EP (@evanpryor3) December 20, 2022
Love you bro we all got your back
— Luke Montgomery (@lukeMonty8) December 20, 2022
You got this brother we all here for ya!! https://t.co/ckSq0fjTvh
— Dallan Hayden5 (@dallanhayden5) December 20, 2022
Love you brother!! https://t.co/sGlPXGP8PP
— Bennett Christian (@BennettC87) December 20, 2022
We love you brother, we are with you in this fight!
— Paris Johnson Jr. (@ParisJohnsonJr) December 20, 2022
Love ya brotha https://t.co/LQRuptP4Qy
— Javontae Jean-Baptiste (@Javontae_JB) December 20, 2022
Love bro ! Were gonna fight this fight with you every step of the way
— Teradja Mitchell (@teeraaw__) December 20, 2022
On behalf of the Ohio State Football family, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time https://t.co/2BlEQgdM9H
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 20, 2022
— Coach Tony Alford (@CoachTonyAlford) December 20, 2022
