UW-Whitewater athlete returns to football 2 years after leukemia diagnosis

WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) - Making it to an NCAA post-season is hard for any athlete, so imagine helping your team getting there after a two-year hiatus and a cancer diagnosis.

Junior at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ammiel Jackson was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after joining the school’s football team.

“November, 2020, my dad actually passed, and six months later after that in April, I found out that I was diagnosed,” he said.

But from a hospital bed, back to the field, the running back rejoined the team two years after the diagnosis.

“When he told me it kinda just put like a whole new perspective on it,” Jackson’s teammate and friend Alijah Maherparr said. “Knowing that he’s able to come back to play football, you know, do something that he loves.”

Jackson received a bone marrow transplant thanks to a donation from his brother.

“The percentage for a donor is 30%. My brother ended up being 100% match for me, which is actually rare in many ways,” Jackson said. “So, I was thankful for that. Blessed for that. And my brother was able to save my life.”

Thursday, the Warhawks held a donor drive in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program. The team wanted to show support for a process that saved their teammate’s life.

“Knowing that he loves the game like that and just wants to be out there. You can look at him, people can look at him and just be like, you know, I’m gonna be out there too,” Maherparr said.

Jackson finished this past season with 32 carries for 160 yards in five games, helping the Warhawks reach the NCAA Quarterfinals.

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