WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — He's a Central Georgia athlete gearing up to check off his dream--playing in Sanford Stadium. You may remember CJ Harris, a Warner Robins High School student athlete who took cannabis oil to combat epileptic seizures.
"His dream was to go play football at Auburn, that's where he wanted to be a veterinarian and everything so they gave him a preferred walk-on," his dad Curtis Harris said.
From a young age, Harris showed great promise of being a star, only to have it taken away days before graduating from Warner Robins High.
The Tigers medical staff says he failed a physical. His dad, Curtis Harris, says his son began taking cannabis oil to stop seizures in high school, so a trace of THC sent him back to square one.
"Everywhere we would go, people would notice him, but then they would pull him aside and they would be like who are you, where'd you come from and he would tell them about the story and they would have already seen the story and say, 'Well, we wish you the best, hope everything goes OK,'" he said.
CJ Harris landed on his feet at Arkansas State, playing linebacker.
After an injury and a seizure, he reentered the transfer portal, but his dad says something about Kent State University clicked.
"You kind of get a feeling when something is right and talking to the coaches, telling them about the story, seeing what they needed," he said.
But there was one more sign.
"Then, we looked at the schedule, and we see Georgia,” his dad recalled.
CJ Harris is suiting up for Kent State in Sanford Stadium Saturday, fulfilling a childhood dream.
“When the story first broke out, people were doubting my ability to play sports at the collegiate level and so I came here, and I love it here," he said.
CJ says his epilepsy isn't a crutch, but a story of perseverance.
"It’s not always about epilepsy, it could be about anything else. I want everybody to know it doesn't matter what kind of battle they have, they're not alone and if they keep pushing, they can conquer what they're trying to do," CJ said.
"You tap into whatever your gift is and give it back and I think that's what CJ is doing right now," Curtis Harris said.
CJ'S dad Curtis created Elevating Above Epilepsy, a nonprofit to spread awareness, and Saturday, Harris will load up a charter bus to take around 50 people to root for CJ.