Washington State senior center Riley Sorenson has experienced more in the last eight months than many could face in a lifetime.

He's the focal point of the Cougars' offensive line, and many already know his story. His dad suffered a heart attack on the day of the Cougars' Sun Bowl victory against Miami, and passed away a few days later. And as if that wasn't jarring enough, it all occurred during his mom's battle with cancer that ended when she passed away in May.
 
Enough to throw anyone, let alone a 330-pound Pac-12 lineman off the tracks, Sorenson faced the battle head-on, even when life gave him another tough test, in being diagnosed with testicular cancer just days after his mom's funeral; a battle that he didn't have to face alone.

"We're a family," Sorenson said of his teammates, fans, and coaches, who packed onto a bus to visit him in the hospital after surgery this past summer.

While he leaned on his girlfriend and immediate family, along with an outpouring of messages from his friends and teammates, the many supporters of WSU, also became Sorenson's assets.
 
"There was a lot of support and were a lot of great messages from people I haven't even met before," Sorenson said. "I thought that was really cool, and I am really grateful."
 
WSU Head Football Athletic Trainer Andy Mutnan was also by Sorenson's side throughout the process; a whirlwind journey that took Sorenson from a physician in Pullman, to oncologists in Spokane and Lewiston, and landed him with a testicular cancer specialist in Seattle.
 
"The great thing that we were able to do was use some of our influences and connections to speed the process up," Mutnan said. "We were able to set this up back-to-back-to-back. It was pretty amazing, cool, and special that we were able to help him out that way."

Additionally, the WSU Athletic department was able to help Riley with the mental side of the process.

"Riley has been utilizing our services ever since things happened with his father," Mutnan said. "We offer a variety of services like psychological counseling. At that point, we were able to help him start to deal with these unbelievable stressors in his life."
 
With surgery behind him, and the potential for chemotherapy ahead, Mutnan and his staff began to prepare Sorenson for a battle quite different than that of a normal Lewiston camp. It was a plan centered around keeping him healthy and free of fatigue, for what would be a trying time ahead.

But, everyone involved was relieved when opinion after opinion from oncologists and specialists revealed that chemotherapy would not be needed after surgery.

"It took a couple of days," Sorenson said of the switch to get ready for fall camp. "I was mentally ready to do chemotherapy, knock that out, and then come back strong, but it turned out I didn't even have to. I just had to get my mind right, and be with the guys."

Those guys include redshirt-junior quarterback Luke Falk, who has a special bond with his center on and off the field.

"I think I was the most excited person team-wise," Falk said of Sorenson's return. "I mean, that's my guy. That's my roommate on the road, he is protecting me all the time, and we have a close relationship. You want to be around him. He's just that kind of person."

Still, it's "that kind of person" that perplexes senior receiver, longtime friend, and high school teammate River Cracraft.
 
"I don't know what it is," Cracraft said. "He never goes down. As a lineman even, he never hits the ground. It's one of his gifts. I think, from an offensive line standpoint, people look at that and wonder how he has such good balance."

And the way Sorenson lives showcases another sort of balance. An even-keeled style. Never too high, and never too low; even in trying times.
 
"Obviously, you're going to have some tough days on the field, just playing," Sorenson said. "You're going to have some off days too, but with everything that's happened, I've gained some perspective and know there are bigger things. This is a game we all play, this game is fun, but you can't get on yourself too much. You can't let it mess up your day, because there are bigger things than that."