BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Tariq Nelson has a fantastic story. If you haven't seen the first story we did with him, check it out here.
Standout high school athlete, highly recruited football player. All of that hard work stripped away at 16 years old with a Leukemia diagnosis. Cancer, a coma, and 40 pounds of weight-loss.
Tariq’s journey back to football is an inspiring one. Now, he’s a captain for the Buffalo State football team. We wanted to catch up with him to see what he’s been up to over the last few months. Not only has Tariq developed as a player, he’s developed so much as a person too.
"I feel like I'm actually in the prime of my life," Nelson said.
In class, Tariq has been one of the most improved students on the Buff State roster. He posted a 3.75 GPA last semester, and made the Dean's List for the first time ever.
"My coaches know I have the talent on the football field, but they want me to be more than just a football player. They want me to be a scholar in the classroom," Nelson said.
I think it goes to show you that if you put in the work every single day, you can overcome really anything, and make up a lot of ground while doing it. Tariq is the perfect example of hard work paying off. Seriously, just look at the last few months of his life.
- Dean's List
- Liberty League All-2nd Team
- Liberty League Honor Roll
- A new car
- A baby brother
- Off campus involvement
Again, all of this in the span of a few months. Tariq is turning into an ambassador for all Bengals to look up to, but also his little brother, who was just born this year.
"I have somebody younger than me who will actually look up to me. I want to tell him that anything you go through, you can bounce back from. Resiliency is in our blood. This is what we do, and we can bounce back from anything. Like, you're my little brother," Nelson said.
