Sarcoma Can’t Keep Senior Football Player Down
Senior year of high school can feel like a tug-of-war. Some days, you want time to slow down so you can fully enjoy Friday night games and school dances with friends. Other days, you’re ready to fast-forward through homework and exams.
Jefferson High School senior Alejandro Cuellar definitely felt that push and pull of emotions. He was a tight end on his varsity football team with a spot waiting for him at St. Thomas University in Miami. He was ready to turn the page to the next chapter of his life.
But a few months from graduation, Cuellar received a phone call he will never forget: You have cancer.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
After a season of hard hits on the field, aches and pains were nothing unusual for Cuellar. He would rehab, recover and get ready for the next practice, the next game, the next big tackle. But when his season ended, a pain in his leg refused to go away. Multiple tests and doctor visits later, Cuellar was diagnosed with stage 1 sarcoma.
In an instant, his carefully planned future came to a halt.
“My first thought was I’m not going to be able to play football ever again,” Cuellar said.
From the Field to the Hospital
Odion Binitie, MD
Just two months after turning 18, instead of prepping for prom and graduation, Cuellar was meeting his oncology care team at Moffitt Cancer Center. Under the care of Odion Binitie, MD, he had surgery on April 30, 2025.
Cuellar’s mom camped out on a cot in his room while he healed.
Binitie personally checked on him — even on weekends — and monitored him closely through recovery. Today, the scar stretching from his hip to his knee stands as a powerful reminder of his resilience.
“Everything was just fast and shocking,” Cuellar said, “but I think the football part was the hardest thing to hear.”
An Unexpected Graduation Day
After surgery, Cueller went home to continue his recovery when he received an unexpected call from his high school asking him to pick up his diploma. Having missed his official graduation day because of his surgery, Cuellar arrived at his alma mater in full cap and gown. He walked into a surprise graduation ceremony organized by coaches, staff, family, friends and teammates — complete with applause, hugs and tears.
“Here’s a student who, really, through perseverance and grit, he’s going through chemotherapy and he still finished his classes on time,” said Dr. Jennifer Canady, Jefferson High School principal.
Cuellar doesn’t yet know what his future holds, but he is meeting it with optimism, his family’s unwavering support and the same determination he once brought to the football field.
“It’s a big accomplishment,” Cuellar said. “Everybody wants to walk the stage and graduate. Since freshman year, that’s all you see yourself doing. So when you get an obstacle like this and you overcome it, it’s a blessing. It really is.”
