Syracuse, N.Y. -- Rex Culpepper broke down crying when he learned that he was officially cancer-free.

The Syracuse football quarterback hugged his mother, Monica, from his bed at Moffitt Cancer Center, before watching his IV and pink line get removed for the final time. He walked down the hallway as the nurses who treated him stood and congratulated his family.

Then he rung the celebratory bell and turned the corner back toward the life he'd been living before enduring a three-month battle with testicular cancer.

"The closest thing I can say is it felt like beating Clemson," Culpepper said. "You just feel so incredibly ecstatic that nothing in your life could ever go wrong."

Culpepper, a redshirt sophomore, spent about 15 minutes reflecting on his experience Friday after completing his first full workout back with the team. He said he's "100 percent cured" without the need for annual follow-up scans and is thrilled to be alongside his teammates once again.

Culpepper's journey to this point has been filled with meaningful moments: from learning of his diagnosis after a spring break trip to throwing a touchdown during the spring game, ringing the bell and walking into the weight room this week to hugs, high-fives and everything in between.

But it's an interaction with another cancer victim that may resonate most strongly with Culpepper beyond his return to the football field, and even the completion of his career.

"Somebody came up to me in Syracuse," Culpepper said. "They wheeled their IV pole over to me and said, 'Hey, you're that kid who threw the touchdown. I didn't think I was going to make it through my chemo, but after seeing you play in the football game, I know I can do it.'

"I know it sounds corny, but it really moved me. It's easy for me to stand up here and say, 'Hey, I want to help other people.' But when someone actually comes up to you and says, 'Hey, you really inspired me,' I can't even describe what I felt. I felt euphoric like here I am fighting for myself and maybe feeling a little bit sorry for myself. And here's somebody else who's seeing what I'm going through and has gotten power from it."

Culpepper's transparency about his battle was powerful and will serve as a source of motivation for others battling cancer. He admitted that it wasn't always easy -- especially early in the process. His chemo sessions were bumped from four-and-a-half hours to six in order to slow the influx of the drug.

Then he'd leave the hospital on Friday afternoon with "chemo brain," a status he likened to the feeling one gets getting off a roller coaster. But a strong support system and belief in himself helped him to focus on how his body handled each treatment and progress.

"It was a lot harder the first week because I wanted to be Superman," Culpepper said. "I wanted to act like cancer wasn't happening to me. I wanted to be writing essays during my chemo. I wanted to be getting things done.

"And I just came to the realization that cancer kind of throws everything else out the window. And while I'm still looking to get back on the field and looking to finish school, when I'm sitting in that chair, I'm fighting for my life and it deserves my undivided attention."

Culpepper is grateful to no longer have to be concerned about his well-being on a daily basis and has a renewed appreciation for life. But he's also as focused as ever on returning to full strength in time to compete for opportunities once preseason camp opens in August.

Culpepper said he didn't miss a sprint or rep in his first workout, but certainly felt the toll the chemotherapy and decreased workouts took on him. He managed to find time in Tampa to throw with Plant High School receivers between chemo sessions, but understands it will be a process to regain the weight he's lost and work his way back to the shape he was in before beginning his fight.

Said Culpepper: "I want to get in the best shape I possibly can so come Aug. 1, I'm ready to compete."

Stephen Bailey covers Syracuse football for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can also be reached anytime via email.