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Clarkson, who went to high school in Camas, Washington, was a three-star recruit who made three starts at guard as a redshirt freshman in 2015.

(Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics)

In a sense, Drew Clarkson had time to prepare for the news his oncologist delivered less than two months before Oregon State spring football practice.

The Beavers' reserve offensive lineman has been going in for regular checkups at Compass Oncology Tualatin since he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during his junior year of high school in 2013, a condition that required surgery and chemotherapy less than a year before he officially signed with the Beavers.

And while Clarkson can thankfully say he is currently cancer-free, the news he received in February ultimately contributed to his decision to medically retire this offseason.

"It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," he said Wednesday in a phone interview.

When Clarkson received his testicular cancer diagnosis in high school, he also learned the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes. Four three-week rounds of chemotherapy followed the initial surgery to remove his tumor and the treatment effectively left him without cancer cells.

However, a benign tumor called a teratoma remained on one of his lymph nodes. Doctors decided he would not need surgery but continued to monitor Clarkson every six months.

Visits continued through his redshirt freshman season in 2015, when he worked his way into the offensive line's rotation early in the year.

"He's a young guy ... but you just watch him in practice, watch him in the drills, he's getting it and we'd like to reward him for that," offensive line coach T.J. Woods said in September.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder, who Rivals graded as a three-star recruit out of Camas High School, went on to start three games at left and right guard late in the year as injuries changed the makeup of the offensive line. He was seen as a promising piece who could provide depth to a strong starting unit and eventually become a starter.

But during the February meeting back in the doctor's office, Clarkson's oncologist informed him that the teratoma had significantly grown since his last visit. Surgery was now necessary, as doctors feared the growth could eventually become malignant.

"When you actually hear that something's wrong, it rattles you," Clarkson said. "You're not expecting to hear it. You feel like you've gotten past everything."

Later that month, Clarkson underwent a surgery that lasted more than six hours. The surgeon opened up his stomach and temporarily removed his intestines to get to the lymph nodes. It left a 10-inch scar, which starts at the top of Clarkson's abdomen and goes around his belly button.

He spent a week at the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Washington County, barely able to sleep while dealing with pain and nausea. He vomited bile while dealing with an obstruction in his intestine and was unable to eat or drink for multiple days, losing 20 pounds in seven days.

"I would rather take a week of chemo than a week in the hospital," Clarkson said of the surgery recovery. "I was so miserable."

Clarkson said he did not think about the end of his football career during his hospital stay, instead focusing on getting back home. But the ramifications of the surgery and its lengthy recovery time ultimately played a big part in the decision to end his football career.

He initially said he was in denial about how serious the procedure was and hoped to return to the team by the start of fall camp. Even though he missed all of spring practice, Oregon State continued to list him as the backup left guard behind junior Fred Lauina.

But the recovery was slow from the highly invasive operation and when he realized the likelihood of returning for the 2016 season was slim, Clarkson began to weigh his long-term options.

Injuries had piled up over the years since his initial cancer diagnosis and he attributed his slower recovery time to the side effects from the chemotherapy. Additionally, Clarkson had suffered a concussion during fall camp and one more during a Nov. 14 game at California that forced him out of the regular season's final two games.

Given all his body had already gone through, Clarkson decided to call it a career after one college season.

"It's really hard, but I know it's what's best for me," he said. "The whole coaching staff has been nothing but supportive and amazing."

His medical retirement makes three on the offensive line this offseason, along with Leo Fuimaono and Mason Johnson. Clarkson will remain on scholarship at Oregon State and plans to complete his degree in the College of Agricultural Science so that he can one day have his own ranch.

Last week, Clarkson made another oncologist visit, and checkups will continue for the next seven years. But the recovery has gone smoothly enough, his father said, that they will soon change from once every six months to one time per year.

"Everything is positive," Matt Clarkson, said.

-- Danny Moran