Central Michigan University Athletics
Bonamego: 'You Learn to Deal With It'
7/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
DETROIT â€" John Bonamego was one of the most sought-after men in the room on Wednesday.
With good reason. The first-year Central Michigan football coach was diagnosed with tonsil cancer six weeks ago, just months after taking over the Chippewa program.
He arrived at the Mid-American Conference Media Day at Ford Field straight from the University of Michigan Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, where he has received daily radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
"They really want you to stay active, they want you to stay busy," said Bonamego to a crowd of media who surrounded him at the annual event. "They don't want you to just succumb to it. It literally is a fight and it's every day and it gets progressively a little worse day in and day out. That's because radiation, it's not like taking a pill every day, it stacks (up).
"I use the weight-lifting analogy. It's like putting 10 more pounds on the bar every day. You don't get to take any weight off. It's just every day adding another weight on."
Bonamego, a former Chippewa player who was named CMU's coach in February, has traveled to Ann Arbor daily, leaving at 4:30 a.m., for chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He returns to Mount Pleasant and puts in a full day at the Indoor Athletic Complex.
"I can't be so stubborn to just push too hard," Bonamego said. "If I need rest, I lie down. When I feel better I get up and get back work.
"It's extremely (physically) uncomfortable, you learn to deal with discomfort, but as I've said before, there's a lot of people out there who are dealing with much, much worse than I am.
"Fortunately I've got a great staff. I'm prepared to delegate where I need to. We've got a good plan. I would expect that once we do get going I'm going to be running on adrenaline quite a bit."
The Chippewas' first practice is scheduled for Aug. 7 and they open the season on Sept. 3 at home against Oklahoma State. Bonamego said the hope is that he is finished with chemotherapy by late August.
Bonamego's diagnosis came just days before CMU player Derrick Nash lost his battle with leukemia. Both have, and will continue to, serve as inspiration, senior center Nick Beamish said.
"Watching (Bonamego) fight, and watching his commitment to the program â€" he's in his office every single day, that's just huge," Beamish said. "Derrick made an impression on the entire team, no doubt about it.
"We're going to remember him for the rest of our lives. We've got the ‘Nash Strong' (wristbands). I think we've drawn on each other to get through everything."
Cooper Rush, a junior who is entering his third season as the Chippewas' starting quarterback, said the players are mindful of Bonamego's battle, and the memory of Nash.
"(Bonamego) told us that it's a battle he's going to handle, that he's going to win, and that we still have jobs to do," Rush said. "I think as a team we've really stuck together, realizing what we have to do while also knowing what he's going through.
"Fortunately we're a close group of guys. Everybody kind of hangs out with everybody. We've talked about sticking together. There's been adversity, but everyone has adversity. Can't complain about it; you just take it head on, and focus on the season."
The Chippewas finished fifth in the MAC West in the preseason poll of media covering the league. Toledo was picked to win the West by just one point over last year's surprise team, Western Michigan.
Bowling Green was selected to win the MAC East, while Ohio and Akron tied for second in the poll.
"I don't really pay much attention to polls at all," Bonamego said. "That's the reason why we play the games and that's why we have a season. At the end of the season no one's going to look back and give a ring to whoever was the preseason poll winner.
"The ring's going to be earned, the trophy's going to be earned, on the playing field throughout the regular season."
The Chippewas graduated plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, wide receiver Titus Davis and defensive tackle Leterrius Walton atop the list. But they also return much in the likes of Beamish and Rush, among others.
"I like having a veteran quarterback," Bonamego said. "I like our depth at running back even though we've taken some hits recently due to injury, I still think we have good depth there. I think our receiving corps is in good shape and I think our defensive line also is a strength of this team.
"Our linebacking corps â€" we'll have some young guys in there, but from what I saw in the spring, I'm encouraged."
Bonamego is also encouraged about his health, though he's far from out of the woods.
"When you first get the prognosis, just like with any bad news, I think your first reaction is maybe to feel sorry for yourself, but I wasn't going to let myself do that," he said. "It's a motivational factor for me. It's a fight that I have to win. And I'm fighting it. And luckily the odds are in my favor. And even if they weren't, you still have no choice. You deal with it, you move forward and it's an everyday fight.
"I'm excited to see our team run out of the tunnel, take the field, and to announced as the head coach of the Central Michigan University Chippewas in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. It's been a lifelong dream of mine. It's been a moment I've been looking forward to for a long, long time."
