In January, Bolline was diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Bolline’s battle with cancer is ongoing, but his treatment is advanced enough that he can still play defensive end for the Cougars. College Station opens its season at home against Klein Collins at 7 p.m. Friday and hopes for another strong season.

“For the last six months I was so scared and not sure what was going to happen, but now that I’m finally back to a routine and certainty, knowing that I’m going to get through this school year and start playing football again has helped me mentally,” Bolline said at practice on Tuesday.

When Bolline’s aunt, a dermatologist, examined a mole on his neck that was changing color and getting larger, a biopsy was performed. The results showed it was cancerous and a tumor had formed. He said the diagnosis left him fearful and uncertain about his future. He also wondered if he would miss football season in the fall.

“I was looking forward to my senior year, my senior season,” Bolline said, “and the uncertainty of whether I could play or not was enormous and kind of scary.”

Bolline underwent surgery in late February to remove the tumor and lymph nodes in his neck and jaw. In March, doctors began a year of immunotherapy. Every six weeks, he goes to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, is hooked up to an IV and receives treatment for up to an hour. Bolline is scheduled to receive two treatments this football season.

Due to his treatment, Bolline missed his junior baseball season. During his treatment, he received a gift basket and cards from his teammates. In April, Bolline was honored at the team’s Vs. Cancer game when the Cougars raised over $20,000 for pediatric cancer research in their annual fundraiser.

“It’s really encouraging to see that the people I play these sports with are by my side and helping me get through this,” Bolline said.

In June, Bolline was cleared for physical activities and was motivated to be free of restrictions. His football coach, Gregg Frashure, described him as a hardworking, outstanding student and the kind of kid a coach would want on his team and an adult would want as a neighbor. Frashure said he noticed that despite his health situation, Bolline did not want to be treated any differently and was impressed by his perseverance.

“I definitely have a lot of respect for the kid, and that obviously adds to it because he’s going through something that I couldn’t imagine going through as an adult and then as a young man,” Frashure said. “And then he says, ‘Hey, I know I’m going through a lot right now, but you guys can train me just as hard as you normally would train me, and you guys have to hold me accountable, and I don’t want to be treated any differently.’

“In a world where everyone seems to want special treatment, the one kid who probably could be treated differently doesn’t. Just when you think the respect and admiration for him couldn’t be greater, something like this happens and you think, ‘Damn. That’s pretty cool.'”

Family and friends have expressed their support over the past six months. Bolline said he has also leaned on his Christian faith during his treatment. He said a life-changing event like a cancer diagnosis can leave someone fearful of the future and people of faith questioning God and his plan. He said a conversation with his youth pastor at Grace Bible Church’s Creekside campus helped him change his perspective.

“He told me that fear and my feelings were normal and that it was not wrong to have those feelings. But we can also see that God has been faithful to me throughout my life and is still with me today,” Bolline said. “I changed my mindset from asking, ‘Why is God doing this to me?’ to asking, ‘What is God doing through me? And how is He changing me through it?’ …

“This helped me a lot because there was a time when I was really mentally unwell. I was mentally unhealthy for quite a while and only my faith in Jesus, constant prayer and Bible study really strengthened me and gave me hope for the future.”

Bolline said he appreciated that his teammates and coaches didn’t see him as different during his battle with cancer.

“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on in the locker room, but I don’t think anyone acts like he’s any different, and I think that’s 100% what he wants,” Frashure said. “He’s another guy on the team trying to help the Cougars win on Friday night.”

Bolline was on the Cougars JV team the past two seasons and is part of a newly formed Cougar defense that features all freshmen on its defensive line. College Station head coach Stoney Pryor said it’s a blessing to have Bolline back on the sidelines.

“High school athletics is such a big part of many kids’ lives and, by extension, many families’ lives – parents who enjoy their kids participating and competing in these activities,” Pryor said. “Obviously, they were very concerned about Adam as he approaches his senior year, going through his penultimate year and getting these diagnoses and not knowing what the future holds for him. It’s been great to have him here at practice and to have him as part of the team.”

Klein Collins will be a tough test for College Station. The Tigers are favorites to win District 15-6A and are ranked No. 16 in the Class 6A preseason poll according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. Pryor said Klein Collins has an athletic, fast team with an aggressive defense.

“We’re not just going to dip our toes in the water and try it out and see how it feels and then decide if we want to stay,” Pryor said. “Let’s go. It’s time to get going. Let’s go. And since we have nine teams in our district this year, we’ve got two warm-up rounds so to speak, and obviously we want to win those games too, but we know that’s just a warm-up for what we hope to see in district play.”

Although Bolline’s battle with cancer continues, he says he’s encouraged to be back on the football field and hitting someone again. He says football is a mental escape for him.

“I can forget all my problems and everything that’s bothering me,” Bolline said. “I can go out on the field and play football with my brothers. It’s a great feeling because I can forget all my problems and feel like I’m part of a team. That gives me courage because I know I still have cancer and I’m still battling it, but I can still do the things I love.”