Thanks to the support of the football coaching staff and team, Rory Killeen, father of senior defensive lineman Jake Killeen, was able to watch his son play in his final game for CSU.

Rory is in a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer, and with decreased mobility was unable to come for the senior day festivities at CSU. In fact, the illness is so severe that Jake was honored at last year’s senior day for fear that his dad wouldn’t make it to the 2008 home finale. Diagnosed with stage four cancer during the summer of 2007, Rory was given six months to a year to live.

A year and a half later, he has continued to battle. Justin Witzmann, who has been teammates on the defensive line with Jake
throughout junior college and on to CSU, Coach Jay Mills, and his staff would not accept for their all-conference defensive end to have to play his final games without his father getting to see him. They cleared it with the NCAA and decided to take up a collection within the team to get Rory to the final game of the year against Coastal Carolina.

“God orchestrated all of this from the very beginning, and that was quite obvious,” said Mills. “In the pregame chapel we had 16 confessions of faith. My wife, Kim, was released from the hospital just before game time after health issues of her own. God was alive and well in this program. I told team chaplain Jon Davis that I felt like we were living out Facing the Giants. Most of the things throughout this year I wouldn’t have designed, but looking back, I certainly wouldn’t have changed anything.”

In just a short period of time, those close to the program donated more than enough money to cover any expenses that Rory would have during the trip.

“You don’t win based solely on Saturday night; you win by putting in the preparation throughout the week,” said Mills. “This selfless and anonymous act by different staffs was not a one-time thing for them, but more an indicator of what was already there.”

When approached with the idea, Jake and his dad were both reluctant. “We felt a little guilty because you are talking about college kids, who don’t have any money to give. It blew me away when they came up with so much, but really showed what a Christian university is all about.”

Defensive Coordinator Thielen Smith was also pleased with the reaction from the team. “This is a great example of teammates going beyond the call of duty for their teammate,” said Smith. “The whole team came together to do an outstanding thing for Jake. He truly appreciated what they did and you could tell by how hard he played.”

Killeen finished the game tied for second on the team with eight tackles and a sack. He finished his two-year CSU career with two all-conference selections, eighth all-time with 17 career tackles for loss and second all-time with 11 sacks. The team also came through for the Killeen family, winning the game 24-0 with the defense handing Coastal Carolina their first shutout in program history.

“I am normally really nervous, but when I saw my dad there with me, I had this sense of calmness come over me,” said Killeen. “I told myself no matter what to have fun, and I did. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire game. I had about four tackles on the first series, and it was probably one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in.”

Coach Smith believes that rallying around the Killeen family served as a bonding event that pays dividends in more than one area. “Going through this process really helped the team. When you have to pull together like this, you are able to get the results that we saw. This is a true example of a team becoming family and really shows what Charleston Southern is all about.”

In addition to raising funds to pay for the flight and meals, Rory and Jake were named as roommates in the team hotel the night before the game. Then, just before the game, Mills and one of the officials were talking about the situation. The official invited Rory onto the field for the coin toss with the captains – including Jake.

Rory, who got to see his son play for the Buccaneers for just the second time, got the thrill of his lifetime as he was presented with the game ball after the victory.

“I must say that the trip out to South Carolina to be with Jake and watch him in his last game was one of the most special times in my life,” said Killeen. “I couldn’t have been more proud of Jake and it is a memory that I will carry with me for eternity. Coach Mills and his coaching staff made it all happen. They did so much for me and their selfless acts speak volumes of their character.”