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SOUTH JORDAN — Riley Culley was standing on the turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium seven months ago celebrating the greatest moment of his life.
“You never forget any of it and you kind of treasure it now that it’s gone,” he said about his senior year of football at Bingham High School. “We went out with a bang and ended the season off right.”
Culley was a center and captain of Bingham’s 2014 Class 5A state championship team. He was a First-Team All-State selection for a team that went 14-0 and was ranked 15th in the nation.
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Bingham football rallies to support player with cancer
Six months ago Riley Culley was celebrating a state championship as a captain of Bingham's 14-0 football team. Three months later he signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Dixie State University. Now he is fighting for his life.His play on the field earned him a scholarship to Dixie State. He signed a National Letter of Intent on signing day in February and was looking forward to achieving his dream of playing college football.
“Just to know that you get to keep playing and keep working hard is exciting,” he said.
Riley, like many graduating seniors, had a bright future to look forward to but it soon took a dramatic and heartbreaking turn.
He began experiencing pain in his side. Doctors first thought it was kidney stones. After running several more tests and consulting with other doctors something much more serious was discovered.
There was a tumor in one of his ribs. A biopsy confirmed their worst fears: cancer.
It's just like another football game. There's nothing you can do but keep fighting, keep striving for every last yard. I will look at it like a victory when I'm done with all this.
–Riley Culley
“To hear the words come out of his mouth ‘your son has cancer’ is just something you never think you’re going to hear,” his mother Jackie recalls. “It just for a long time didn’t seem real.”
Just 50 days after signing his NLI Riley learned he had Ewing’s Sarcoma. It’s a primary bone cancer that is mainly found in children. If discovered early before it spreads to other organs it can be treated successfully in 50 to 75 percent of cases.
Riley was now facing his own mortality at the age of 18. He quickly turned to lessons he learned playing football that have helped him fight his battle with cancer.
“It’s just like another football game,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do but keep fighting, keep striving for every last yard. I will look at it like a victory when I’m done with all this.”
In addition to the physical toll it takes on the body Ewing’s Sarcoma also takes a financial toll on its victims. Treatment is lengthy and expensive.
That’s where the community has rallied around the family to help raise money for his treatment.
The Bingham lacrosse team held a fundraiser May 1 by donating all ticket sales to the Culley family.
The football team recently organized a clothing drive and some unexpected visitors showed up.
Alta head coach Bob Stephens and several of his players pitched in at the fundraiser. Riley was surprised and grateful to see Bingham’s rivals offer their support.
“To go over to the clothing drive and see all the Alta players there with Bingham players, my rivals, kids I used to hate, seeing them over there and shaking their hands it humbles you,” Riley said.
The Culley family is grateful for the love and support the community has shown during this difficult time and it has given them strength to keep fighting.
“I’m humbled by the whole experience,” said Riley’s father, Paul. “The team, the school, the community is just coming out in droves to help support Riley and support us. I don’t know. What can you say? It’s amazing.”
The overwhelming support provides motivation for Riley to beat cancer and continue his football career.
“You really don’t know what to say. You don’t know how to thank all these people, but it makes me want to fight through this to get through it faster. I wish I could be in the weight room grinding or be on the field running, doing drills, but I’ll get there.”
If you enjoy running you can help Riley and his family. They are holding a 5K benefit run on May 31st in South Jordan. You can register for the race by going to the Facebook page "Go Team Riley Tackling Cancer."
