DALLAS — Last spring, Sam Reynolds was coming off his second straight wrestling state title in the 285-pound division at the 5A level. He was feeling great and getting ready to start the prep work for his upcoming senior football season at Lucas Lovejoy High School.

“I was in the best shape of my life,” Sam said. “I was just performing really well and recruiting for football was starting to pick up for me.”

During this time, Sam had developed a skin infection that he thought came from wrestling. He was put on antibiotics, but it wouldn’t go away. One morning, he got up and wasn’t feeling great.

“Samuel was pale and looked very weak,” Debra Reynolds, Sam’s mother, recalled. “I said, 'Something is the matter.'”

They went to see the doctor and while he was there, Sam had a kind of sinking spell and was immediately admitted him to the emergency room. Over the next couple of days, tests revealed his platelets weren’t right, and that led to a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, a rare blood cancer.

“I just kind of remember seeing my parents' and my brother’s reaction because I didn’t know what any of that meant,” said Sam. “I just remember realizing what was going to happen from there on out.”

“He’s got so many things to look forward to, so many opportunities. Just the doors are fixing to open for him,” Debra said. “Everything came to a screeching halt that day. It was hard.”

Sam was in for a long fight. He would spend 118 days in the hospital. 

“It was a kind of miserable,” Sam said. “Just having my family there every day helped a lot. The nurses and the doctors, everyone there was just amazing.”

Sam was able to receive an advanced antibody treatment that kept him from needing a bone marrow transplant and cut his rounds of chemo in half. With the recovery process shortened, the idea of trying to play his senior football season became a possibility. 

“The calendar started becoming more real for Samuel to look at and to have the hope that someday he would be back and he would play his senior year in high school," Debra said. 

“I knew it was something I could do. I just made it a goal,” said Sam.

He was able to be on the sidelines with his team as an honorary captain for some of the early games of the season. But after being cleared, Sam made his return to the field less than seven months after his diagnosis in a week seven game. 

“Before the game and when I was putting my pads on, I just let it soak in a little bit,” Sam recalled. “Just a great feeling.”

“I was a mess. I’ve never been prouder of Samuel in my whole life,” said Debra.

“He always looks up at me when he’s coming off the field. You know, we make eye contact,” said Dusty Reynolds, Sam’s father. “It’s always that eye contact, so that was pretty special because that’s something I missed.”

“It was special because I know he loved football and playing out there and being with his friends,” said Abigail Reynolds, Sam’s sister. “Made me grateful that he’s back in the spot like he was.”

Sam has jumped back in on the offensive line and helped the Leopards win a district title and make the playoffs. They have a real chance to make a deep playoff run and possibly winning a state title during this emotional season. For Sam, he’s just grateful to be back in this position.

“Just thanking God for allowing me to do it again,” said Sam. “Gave me a second chance.”