Less than half a day after committing to play football at his dream school, Ethan Yuska noticed blood in his urine, freaked out and rushed to the emergency room. The next morning, doctors diagnosed the now 23-year-old sophomore punter with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer.
The best day of Ethan’s life flipped in a matter of hours. The high of committing to his dream school shifted to feelings of bewilderment.
“Knowing what I’m going to do with my life, how I’m going to do it, when I’m going to do it and then sort of this surreal moment where it’s like, ‘Whoa, what just happened?” said Yuska. “Life slowed down at that point.”
Ethan’s sister Haley attended the University of West Florida (UWF), the school Ethan initially committed to play football for, and was only a few months shy of becoming a registered nurse (RN). Aided by Haley’s description of Ethan’s symptoms, the doctors at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola thought Ethan had a kidney stone upon initial intake.
“He was sick, maybe for a week. [We] thought it was a virus, maybe it was COVID,” said Haley Yuska. “But when he did have more concerning symptoms, that’s when I knew something wasn’t right.”
Since something hard on one’s bladder typically indicates a kidney stone, Ethan underwent an ultrasound. Once it came back negative, the doctors turned their attention to his low platelet count and petechiae, red dots all over his legs and arms.
Due to their previous experience with these symptoms, the doctors ordered a bone marrow biopsy of his hip. The biopsy found the cancer, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).
“The doctors were very good with how they gave me my diagnosis,” said Yuska. “They were very positive about it because if you were to pick any type of cancer, any form of leukemia, you would pick mine.”
Despite the doctors’ positivity about his diagnosis, they found enough leukemia cells in his central nervous system to classify him under central nervous system level three (CNS3), the most severe of the three levels.
“I think once they got his lab work back and his scans, they were pretty shocked to see his results,” said Haley Yuska.
Ethan spent four weeks at Sacred Heart, constantly in bed with nausea and sickness. He lost 20 pounds in a week because of chemotherapy.
Mike McCabe (left) and Ethan’s fellow teammates spelt his last name “Yuska” outside his hospital room at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola when he first got sick (Photo via Ethan Yuska)
“I kind of knew in the back of my head that it probably was blood cancer, but I don’t think he really knew that. I was trying to keep it together, be calm and collected and not freak him out,” said Haley Yuska. “I don’t think having a big emotional outburst would have been helpful for his sake, but I was pretty scared.”
After Sacred Heart discharged him, Ethan and his family decided to continue his care at Seattle Children’s Hospital across the country in Washington state, a top hospital in America.
Within a week, he boarded a plane to go back to Seattle. The punter previously lived in the Emerald City for a brief period, but he moved plenty before landing in Washington state.
Due to COVID-19 and his leukemia, Ethan took extra precautions when traveling (Photo via Ethan Yuska)
His home remained constant for the first 12 years of his life before the Yuska family lived abroad until the end of Ethan’s junior year of high school.
Mark Yuska, Ethan’s father, worked for the Navy as an industrial engineer, a civilian employee. This did not necessarily mean “on duty,” but he spent two-and-a-half years on the base in Rota, Spain.
The Yuskas remained abroad when Mark shifted his work to Japan. By this time, however, he neared the five-year maximum that civilian overseas employees can work; thus, he needed to return stateside for two years. The result forced Ethan to move to Washington state.
He “slipped in” to a high school there, a week before COVID hit. Though he finished his junior year, school shifted to online. Washington state law soon cancelled the sports seasons, including postponing the upcoming football campaign.
“You know how important [your] senior season is for high school. If you have no film, it’s rough. You have to go to campus, and you have to try so much harder,” said Yuska.
Before settling in his new town, Mark sent Ethan to work with coach Mike McCabe and One On One Kicking in Birmingham, Alabama for a week. The singular week quickly grew into the entire summer because Ethan was one of the best players there. His lack of consistent coaching growing up also contributed to this shift, his fifth move in five years.
In the program, Ethan trained with former NFL kicker Ryan Santoso and other professionals. In addition to improving his craft, Ethan worked towards his main goal: finding a team that would play him during his senior year. He wanted to look around Pensacola to live near Haley. Luckily for him, McCabe knew “all the teams in Florida and Alabama,” and the two found the right school close to Haley.
They decided on Escambia High School in Pensacola. A team full of seniors with lots of talent that graduated Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith in the 1980s.
“It was like the stars aligned, and I was like ‘Yeah, that’s where I’m going,” said Yuska.
Though the school operated online, they allowed the football players on campus.
“I felt like football is my job, and honestly, that was the dream as a kid,” said Yuska. “It’s anyone’s dream.”
If football were his job, he clearly thrived at the office. Ethan won player of the game seven times during his senior season, according to MaxPreps, and Florida all-state punter.
Despite the accolades and strong game film, COVID slowed down recruitment due to the possibility of athletes receiving an extra year of eligibility. Ethan remained focused on UWF because of its head coach, Pete Shinnick, and its proximity to Haley. The institution’s great funding for a DII school, and the fact that Shinnick knew Ethan, made it a dream destination.
Thankfully for Ethan, UWF extended their scholarship offer early.
Though Ethan’s parents lived in Seattle at the time, they joined Ethan, Haley and the coaching staff on Zoom. Coaches Kyle Hofmann and Shinnick discussed the offer, what they saw in Ethan, what he wanted with the school and acted extremely involved.
“I already felt committed before [officially doing so],” said Yuska.
On Jan. 24, 2021, he officially committed to join the Argonauts, surrounded by the coaches and his sister at home with his parents on the other side of the computer screen. He chose UWF over a preferred walk-on (PWO) offer to Florida State University and interest from both Wake Forest and the University of Florida.
Photo via Ethan Yuska
36 hours later, the punter learned of his cancer diagnosis. His parents caught the next flight to join their son. Mark worked at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, the nearest naval base. Haley stayed to finish her RN program. Ethan’s mother, Kelly, worked from home full-time; she dropped everything anytime he needed to go to the hospital.
Photo via Ethan Yuska
“I was basically there every day,” said Ethan Yuska. “It’s tough, emotionally, financially, everything.”
A GoFundMe page set up by his sister Taylor, raised nearly $13,000. Seattle Children’s Hospital also forgave 100% of his medical bills.
In Seattle, Ethan started an experimental chemotherapy called Rylaze. He would fall asleep for two hours, wake up and projectile vomit.
“Every day I was doing that over and over. It just beats the hell out of you,” said Yuska.
The last step to eliminate his cancer involved head radiation. It ran the risk of brain fog, but the radiation also prevented floating cells in the central nervous system, eliminating the possibility of them entering the brain and spinal fluid.
He received a 21-gray dose, making him go bald.
Photo from Ethan Yuska
“We just had to do it,” said Ethan Yuska on the verge of tears. “That was hard, especially my mom seeing me like that.”
Between the chemotherapy, constantly lying in bed and barely walking, Ethan’s body was extremely weak and developed great amounts of atrophy. His atrophy slowed once the chemotherapy ended, but new concerns arose during physical therapy: avoiding injury.
“It was very difficult, but through time, I persisted, never gave up,” said Yuska. “I was delusionally optimistic. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.”
He never gave up because football never left his mind.
“Football was what saved me because I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to play football again. I’m going to play football again,” said Yuska, choked up with tears in his eyes. “It’s hard looking back, knowing where I was versus where I am now. Mostly, my family [seeing me] fall like that. I have to get back up.”
Doctors never necessarily cleared Ethan because there was nothing to clear; his return relied on his ability to do so. He built his strength and flexibility back, checking in with doctors to ensure his bones had the strength to prevent fractures while kicking.
At the conclusion of his treatment and after another summer with McCabe in 2024, he moved back to Florida. He remained focused on UWF but encountered a full roster. Despite not yet being at full strength, he had some other offers including from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), but they were expensive and far away.
With all of his eligibility but nowhere to spend it, Yuska attended UWF part-time because of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and a scholarship that helped him get back into school and life after cancer. As the 2024 season approached, coach Kevin Johnson from Marist University called. Johnson originally reached out before head coach Mike Willis took over the recruitment.
“Once I learned more about Ethan, his talent, his character, his academics and his very unique story, I was very impressed and worked very hard to get him through our admissions process and secure his commitment,” said Willis.
The head coach also noted Ethan’s power, punting far, but also his hang time and great net punts. The recruit complemented this by overcoming personal, academic and athletic adversity.
“It was a memorable recruitment very quickly,” said Willis, “I did not blink. I was very excited to secure Ethan’s commitment.”
Their first phone call covered requirements and the $35,000 price. Kelly and Ethan originally declined, ending the call, but when Mark returned home that night, the family discussed the call, compiled more research on Marist and made comparisons. Kelly said the school will “open up a whole new world” for Ethan, leading to another phone call and subsequent commitment just a week before the semester.
He lucked out because Marist’s semester begins later than most schools, so he drove with Mark to New York from Pensacola. He punted okay, in his opinion, during his first practice, but impressed everyone the very next day.
“The second day was when I had a really big punt [that] went over the coaches’ heads. From that day, I was the starter,” said Ethan Yuska. “My main concern was if I was strong enough, [if] I’m going to have the durability and last the season. I was still recovering my strength. Still skeptical, even about myself and my abilities.”
In 118 attempts over 23 games, Yuska compiled nearly 5,000 total yards, 31 fair catches, 23 punts inside the 20 and 12 of 50 or more yards. He also earned recognition as Honorable Mention for National Special Teams Player of the Week and All-PFL Third Team.
Edited by Max Rosen and Nate Shoemaker
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photos from Marist Athletics
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