Pink was the Color of Choice in a White Out for Kirby Southard

MACON, Ga. – Last Saturday was a White Out at Five Star Stadium when Mercer hosted Western Carolina in a 38-24 win. Amidst a sea of white that Saturday there was one constant, but important, fleck of pink.

You might have seen it on the field, in the trenches. It surrounded the ankles and one wrist of Kirby Southard, the Bears center that started his 41^st consecutive game. Forgive the detour in the game's promotion, but this was far more important.

Southard wraps his ankles in pink every time he plays a game in October, commonly known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is in honor of his mother, Missy, whom he claims is a warrior.

For Southard it wasn't about the look of a uniform but honoring and recognizing the battles his mother has fought and won.

"Every year I have an undershirt I usually wear or this year I did my ankles and cast as well to complement it. Every year I make sure to do it in every single game we play in October. It is the awareness and support month."

While Missy never had – and hopefully never will have – breast cancer, she has already survived two other bouts of cancer: ovarian and skin. So far a 2-0 record.

The first was skin cancer, diagnosed Kirby's freshman year (2013). That required surgery in order to have tissue removed to prevent it from spreading. The following year came an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Fortunately for Missy chemotherapy was not required, just another surgery.

That timeline could be a little off from the actual events. As much as he may think about and worry about his mother, she makes sure her son's focus remains on his studies and playing football.

"Since I am at school here with academics and athletics as well, she doesn't keep me fully up to date on everything that is going on because she wants me to focus on everything in my life," Southard explains. "Of course, I thank her a lot for that. Not everything she is going through is easy but she always tries to make sure I'm focused on what I'm doing in my life and not always worried about her. She is fine now so everything is good."

Most students spend their first year in college trying to adjust to a newfound freedom paired with a more rigorous academic challenge. For student-athletes that is amplified by a higher level of competition. For Southard, add to that the emotional toll of the battles his mother was fighting.

"It is definitely a lot, especially when she was going through everything," Southard said of the times he would think about his mother and her health his first two years of college. "Even now, I have a new appreciation for not taking a single thing for granted from them. Whether it is a simple 'Hey' text, Face Time, or a call. When I see them at football games, I don't take any of that for granted."

"Maybe in the past as I was growing up I was a little bit more immature and would think 'Whatever guys' but now it you really appreciate how important it is to have them at the games and at everything that is going on in my life, not just football but other events. For them to be there it is really special and you don't take it for granted because it's not going to be there one day."

Thankfully both diagnosis happened in the offseason. Missy couldn't let cancer get in the way of her passion: watching her son play football for Mercer.

"That is really why I wanted to come to Mercer – it is in Georgia, where I am from," said Southard, an Alpharetta native. "My family goes everywhere and they don't miss a game. They went to San Diego, Marist – every home game and every road game. To have my family there, it means so much. They are always there, always supporting me. Even in high school they were always there. It is special."

And the Southard family knows a thing or two about skin cancer. Doctors twice identified skin cancer on Kirby's shoulder when he was in middle school.

"They went in there first and took some stuff out in sixth grade," Southard explains. "Then they came back and realized it was a little bit more involved than what they thought. They had to open up deeper and it ended up being 36 stitches to get everything cleared up and taken out. Of course I go back for checkups every now and then."

To have already had two surgeries related to skin cancer means Southard must take the utmost precautions when he is outside for any extended period of time. Like a football practice that may occur daily.

"You always have to do your best with sun tan lotion," added Southard. "It is always kind of tough to keep putting that on all the time so I just go with long sleeves. I know it is hot and we're out there in the Macon heat but you throw some long sleeves on and it protects you. Then you use as much sun tan lotion as you can on your face. That is usually what I do."

Southard's experiences – both his and his family's – leave him speaking with a mature, articulate voice that is rarely seen among college students. That is, when he isn't discussing the challenges his mother has faced.
"Sometimes I try to talk real quick and not dwell on it because it always chokes me up," he explained.

Missy will be in Clarksville, Tennessee Saturday to see her son start his 42^nd consecutive game for Mercer. Nothing could stop her from seeing that, not even cancer.

"She's a warrior too," Southard said of his mother.

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Pink was the Color of Choice in a White Out for Kirby Southard

Players Mentioned

Kirby Southard

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