Austin-area high school nominated for Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award

AUSTIN, Texas - Jersey Mike's is rewarding several students with money as part of Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award and an Austin-area student has been nominated for the award.

The backstory:

Jersey Mike's is rewarding several students with money as part of Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award.

The award recognizes players who have consistently gone above and beyond throughout the basketball season and has demonstrated courage in their approach to their team, school, and community.

"The Jersey Mike's Naismith Courage Award is given to one male and one female high school students each year. And the courage award is meant to be given to somebody who shows courage and going above and beyond while they're battling some type of adversity in their life," says Jeff Hemschoot, VP of marketing for Jersey Mike's.

10 students have been nominated for this award. And Jersey Mike's selected Akins High School junior Darius Hedspeth for his commitment to basketball, never giving up, especially during his cancer treatment.

Hedspeth's coaches nominated him after hearing his story.

Dig deeper:

For those who know Darius Hedspeth, they know you can find him at the basketball court shooting hoops. Darius says his love for basketball started at a young age.

"My grandpa he actually introduced me, walking me down the street to play basketball. And yeah, I just fell in love with it ever since,"

Since an early age basketball has been everything to him. He started playing since middle school, and his sophomore year he officially made it on the varsity team at Akins High School.

"He's a player that brings a lot of, you know, intensity and love to the game. He's a great teammate, a person that you definitely want to have in the locker room," says Coach Rashad Culver, Darius' basketball coach.

Well in January 2024, after a game, Darius started to notice something wasn't right with his body. He went to the hospital to check up on an injury just to find out on his 16th birthday he has cancer.

"He was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma. It's a rare form of cancer, it was shocking. You know, there's, there's not really anything that kind of prepares you for that," says Olivia DeLeon, Darius' mother.

The diagnosis was hard on Darius. Physically and mentally.

"The diagnosis was pretty hard, not only for me, but for my family and my mom. It was just a hard process to get through. But having basketball kind of helps me not to have a bad attitude or be sad all the time," says Hedspeth.

But he wasn't going to let cancer stop him from playing the game he loves. Despite the physical toll chemotherapy had on him, he maintained an unwavering connection to his team, attending practices and games to support his teammates and inspire his community.

Darius plays AAU basketball with Hays Hornets basketball after the high school season is over to stay active and develop his skills.

He also is in social services Ready Set Teach program working with the kids at Menchaca Elementary school.

He's trying to make time to go to the younger kids games in middle schools that went to his high school games in the surrounding areas.

"Basketball saved him, kept him in the fight and the coaches allowing him to be here and be part of the team," says DeLeon.

Just how Darius showed up for his team every practice, they also showed him, they have his back.

"We had a charity basketball game, and we gave the proceeds to help out the family with medical expenses. We also had one of our athletic partnerships create these Darius strong shirts, and that helped offset some of the costs for medical expenses as well," says Culver.

On August 14th, 2024, he was able to ring the bell.

Darius says having a positive mindset has help him through it all.

By September, Hedspeth had completed his treatment and returned to the court for his junior season. Now averaging 10 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds per game, Hedspeth’s resilience and strength have made him a symbol of hope and determination for his community.

"I would say find a hobby to do. It helps you get through stuff. And if you're feeling that type of way, you can always go back there, and it'll take your mind off of things. So, it helps you a lot. That's what I did with basketball," says Hedspeth.

What's next:

Jersey Mike's will choose two winners and award them $2,000 to the student and their school.

"To win this award. It would mean a lot for me because my story would get out there and inspire a lot of kids, I hope. And for my campus, it would probably bring a lot of notice," says Hedspeth.

Jersey Mike's will be announcing the winner of the award on February 20th.

Darius says if he wins, he would like to leave his mark. He would want the school to use the money on improvements in the gym or a mural of an eagle soaring.

AustinEducation