For the past seven months, ISU defensive lineman Mitchell Meyers has had a different focus.

Meyers, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last February. With chemotherapy and classes taking up most of his time, Meyers had to take a step back from the game.

Yet life moves on for the Cyclones, who have been forced to prepare for Saturday’s season opener against Northern Iowa without one of their main defensive leaders.

But on Wednesday, ISU coach Paul Rhoads had a surprise announcement. Meyers was coming home.

“We thought he could possibly be back to watch us play [in the first game],” said [linebacker] Levi Peters, “but to get that reassurance was awesome.”

Meyers, who has been receiving treatment in Houston over the summer, is planning to make the trip up to watch Saturday’s game with his team. Both coaches and players alike say that the redshirt junior, who registered 30 tackles and started every game for the Cyclones in 2014, had a tremendous impact on this team — especially from a leadership standpoint.

And they say they can’t wait to have Meyers back on the field, even if it is just on the sideline.

“Mitchell means so much to this team,” Peters said. “If he was healthy and he was here right now, he would be making a huge impact. We know how hard it is for him, and we know he’s got our backs still. He’s in Texas, but he’s a Cyclone and he’s our brother.”