(WWJ) - Former Muskegon High School football star and beloved Michigan Wolverine fan Dametrius "Meechie" Walker died Friday after battling bone cancer for two years, the University of Michigan announced.
He is survived by his mother, Leona Bell, and son, Kymere.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Dametrius Walker," the university on social media on Dec. 9. "Meechie was an inspiration to every member of our program and the Michigan family as a whole. He will be missed by so many."
In a GoFundMe post made in April 2022, Walker said he had been fighting against osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, since his diagnosis in November 2020 after noticing an odd bump on his knee.
Walker had previously played football at Muskegon High School in Northern Michigan, gaining attention among top universities as a standout defensive end.
He developed into a 3-star prospect while a member of the Big Reds football program, Mlive reported. He was a dominating presence at 6-foot-5 and 260-pounds. He had received scholarship offers from Kentucky, Michigan State and a couple of MAC schools, but told ESPN that his dream was to play for the University of Michigan.
"The team, the coaching staff, just the way they did things," Walker told ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski two months ago. "The way they carry themselves, I just love that about them."
As Walker was moving closer to that dream of receiving a scholarship offer from the Wolverines, his life dramatically changed when he was forced to retire from the sport before his senior year
His cancer diagnosis brought him down to the point "I thought my life was over," Walker wrote.
"Doctors told me I couldn’t ever get back on the field and enjoy my dreams which made me feel alive and worthy of myself," he added on his crowdfunding page.
Walker, ever a competitive spirit, fought back.
He underwent a knee replacement surgery and nine months of chemotherapy, but the cancer relapsed a month after ending treatment.
By April 2021, doctors amputated his left leg as the tumor had grown too large. Despite their efforts to stop the cancer's aggressive nature, it continued to spread.
Walker wrote the cancer had made its way into "my lungs and other parts of my body. Doctors told me they couldn’t do anything for me and that I have a very short amount of time span for me to live my life, which is heartbreaking."
The former high school football player's story began to spread, eventually reaching the ear of the Michigan football team and head coach Jim Harbaugh.
On Aug. 13, 2022, Walker was invited by the team to practice and "feel the joy of being a part of the Wolverines program," ESPN reported.
"Meechie was hurting so bad that day," Walker's mother had said to Wojciechowsi. "His whole body was just in excruciating pain and he just smiled like nothing ever happened. Like he wasn't even in pain."
Bell called Walker's time at the Big House the 'Miracle of Michigan," that the experience woke up a new fight in him despite his pain and deteriorating health in the last couple of months.
As reported by ESPN, Walker had lost 70 pounds and frequently slipped in and out of consciousness. Walker told ESPN that he fought as hard as he did for his 2-year-old son
Walker was later invited to attend Michigan's game against Maryland on Sep. 24 -- but his time, his story had spread among the Maize and Blue fanbase. He was given a signed Michigan jersey with his nickname, Meechie, on the back, and wheeled out on to the field were over 100,000 fans cheered him on.
"Our friend. Our brother. Our teammate," the university later called him.
The Wolverines won that game 34-27 and dedicated it to Walker, giving him the game ball in the locker room, ESPN reported.
As word of his passing spread, many took to social media to share their sadness, but also their memories.
Punter Brad Robbins tweeted, "Love you Meechie."
"We lost a true embodiment of what it means to be a Michigan Man. Meechie and I texted weekly about his experience and outlook on life," Robbins wrote. "Whenever he was in our facility and around our team, he was so positive and always had a huge smile on his face."
The Ohio State University Alumni also offered their condolences as fans commented how Walker's determination and fight inspired so many and his spirit would always be "bigger than football."