Linebacker has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Ryan Beecher, a backup inside linebacker for Stanford, missed the Alamo Bowl on Thursday because he was diagnosed last week with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he said Friday from his home in Fresno.

Beecher, the MVP in his senior season at San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno and the class valedictorian, said he is due for more tests. The initial scan, he said, indicated his illness is “highly curable,” but he acknowledged, “With a diagnosis like this, it kind of flips your world upside down. But I got very good news about my marker.”

Beecher, 21, a redshirt sophomore, played on special teams this season and had three tackles. He did not make the trip to San Antonio because of his illness. He said he told his teammates about it before they left. During the game, many of the players wrote his jersey number 43 on their arms or, in the case of wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, his neck.

“I was incredibly touched by the support my team showed,” Beecher said.

The American Cancer Society says non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, part of the body’s immune system.

Beecher’s father, Jim, said Ryan will be examined by a Stanford oncologist Tuesday. “We’re confident he’ll be cured. He’s looking forward to returning to football.”

— Tom FitzGerald