By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
Some days are harder than others for 7-year-old Will Hughes.
The Piedmont resident was diagnosed with leukemia in November of 2020. From then until now, each day has brought its own challenges.
For almost a year, Hughes and his mom, Jenny and dad, Billy, have made weekly visits to treatment specialists and cancer doctors. Will has been through several rounds of chemotherapy. He was hospitalized three times in March and April.
It’s been a brutal seven months, but ‘Warrior Will’ is battling hard.
Recently, Hughes has gotten a boost from some special visitors.
Oklahoma State football players Trace Ford, a starting defensive end for OSU, and teammate Bo Hardy, a Piedmont native, have become fast friends with the Hughes family.
“It’s such a cool thing for the players to do,” Billy Hughes said.
The Hughes knew the Hardy’s from Bo’s time wrestling at Piedmont High School. Will, a youth wrestler, became a fan of Hardy’s and when Hardy heard Hughes was sick, he knew a way to help.
Hardy told his teammate about the story and that Ford was Hughes’ favorite player. Ford was instantly ready to connect with the family, who happen to be lifelong OSU fans.
“We got a video message from Trace encouraging Will one of the first times we got home from the hospital,” Billy Hughes said.
The duo stayed in touch and in June, Ford and Hardy visited the Hughes’ home in Piedmont. It was a treat for everyone.
“Not everyone gets to do that,” Will Hughes said. “So it was really cool.”
Hughes’ favorite sport is hockey so he gave the players some tips. He showed off his impressive sports card and memorabilia collection and showed the players around his room. Ford and Hardy brought a replica No. 94 jersey like Ford wears.
“We’re both big hockey fans and he taught me a lot that day,” Ford said.
The visit lasted almost two hours. The morale boost it provided for the Hughes was invaluable.
“Distractions are huge. If you can get him to forget how sick he is or how bad he feels for a few hours, it makes the day a hundred times better,” Billy Hughes said. “As parents we worry, too. So it got it off everyone’s minds.”
The time with the family made an impression on the players, too.
“Will has such a big personality. I thought he was amazing. I was really touched,” Ford said. “It’s an inspiration for me because hearing his story makes me want to push harder.”
Ford suffered an ACL injury in a game back in December. It’s a brutal injury to recover from and it hit Ford hard.
“I thought it was the end of the world,” he said. “Now I’m like, why was I crying about that?”
Hardy is a walk-on for the Pokes so he puts in hours of hard work, but doesn’t always get rewarded with playing time. Learning about Will’s struggle reminds him to be grateful.
“It puts things in perspective. He’s going through something I could never imagine going through,” Hardy said. “(Will) is doing something that doesn’t even compare to what I do on a daily basis.”
The Oklahoma State players don’t intend for the relationship to fade. They want the Hughes family to visit for a game this fall and hope to get him a special place on the sideline and in the locker room.
“Whatever he wants to do, I hope he can do,” Ford said.
‘BEAT THE HELL OUTTA OF THEM’
Will Hughes could make a career out of motivational speaking. He might even speak to OSU’s team before a game.
His last pregame speech made a strong impression.
He spoke in Dallas to the Oklahoma City Blazers – a metro area junior hockey team – just before they took the ice for a big game against the Texas Brahmas.
Hughes strolled into the team’s locker room a few minutes before they took the ice, the players and coaches silent, focused on what Hughes might say. He paused for a moment, then said, ‘Beat the hell out of the Brahmas.’
The locker room roared with excitement.
“The team loved it,” Billy Hughes said. “It was so cool to see how inspired they were.”
Hughes became a social media sensation.
The family added the video to their ‘Warrior Will’ Tik Tok account afterward. The post received 334,000 views and 93,000 likes on the social media app.
“It’s been very humbling,” Billy Hughes said of the outreach. “You never want to be here, but you want to make the best of it.”
FRIENDS AROUND THE GLOBE
Will Hughes has fans everywhere, including star defenseman Quinn Hughes of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks.
Will became a fan of Hughes because they shared a last name. The support has been reciprocated.
Quinn Hughes follows the Warrior Will Instagram account page and representatives from the Canucks have been in the touch with the family.
“That is so cool,” Will Hughes said.
BACK TO ‘NORMAL’
In total, the treatment program Hughes has underway is expected to take 2.5 years. The Hughes’ life will be ‘more normal’ toward the end of July when Will starts maintenance therapy at home, Billy Hughes said. There will be fewer procedures and doctor visits and more at-home medicines.
“Getting a break and doing more things at home will be nice,” Billy Hughes said.
This weekend, the family is looking forward to hosting Ford and Hardy again, this time for a barbecue in Piedmont. The players are excited to connect again.
“(Will) always has such a great attitude,” Hardy said. “We can’t wait to see him.”
