Earlier this summer we learned Central Michigan head coach John Bonamego was fighting a treatable form of tonsil cancer. The treatment, of course, would take him away from handling the rigors of being a head coach of a college football program, but Bonamego has finished up the bulk of his treatment is ready to get right back in the routine of leading the Chippewas. He returned to the practice field Friday, ringing a ceremonial bell to signify the culmination of his chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
“I’m glad to be back, I’m glad to be done with treatment,” said Bonamego on Friday. “I feel about as good as you can possibly feel coming off of seven weeks of radiation and eight weeks of chemo. The last couple weeks I’ve kind of dodged that question because I don’t want to lie and I don’t want to complain... It’s a relief to be done with the process.”
As anyone who has gone through or known someone who has gone through a battle with cancer will tell you, there is still more to come for Bonamego. Follow-up visits will still be lined up as doctors continue to monitor Bonamego’s health, but for now the coach can start planning to coach Central Michigan in Week 1 against Oklahoma State.
“I’m excited for us to play against somebody else rather than go against ourselves in practice which we’ve been doing, seems like, forever,” he said.