Nebraska football’s Dylan Parrott shares special bond with 7-year-old cancer survivor

LINCOLN, Neb. —

For 7-year-old Cade Parrish, Nebraska defensive lineman Dylan Parrott is someone to cheer for on Saturdays.

“I like watching him play football, and he’s very good at football,” Cade said.

But to Cade and his family, Parrott represents something much bigger than football. He represents hope.

The two share a connection forged through an experience few children face: Both were diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma.

Cade’s family first learned about Parrott while Cade was undergoing chemotherapy treatments at Children’s Nebraska.

“We were in the thick of it with Cade. He was getting chemo treatments at Children’s, and we saw the article that Dylan had Burkitt lymphoma when he was younger, which is the same exact cancer that Cade had,” Cade’s family said.

Parrott was just 10 years old when he was diagnosed with the disease. Years later, Cade faced the same diagnosis.

Their stories eventually crossed after Nebraska shared Parrott’s story following the Huskers’ game against Iowa in 2024. Parrott had taken part in the “Hawkeye Wave,” joining the tradition of waving to patients and families at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

For Parrott, it was a full-circle moment after undergoing cancer treatment himself years earlier at the same hospital.

His mother, Carrie Parrott, said being on the field for the wave carried a special meaning for their family.

“Standing down on the field doing the wave, it hit home a little different,” she said. “It was extra special.”

Since then, Parrott has become a friend and mentor to Cade — and someone who understands firsthand what the 7-year-old has experienced.

“I can be there for him,” Parrott said. “I’m just very grateful to be able to do that and to be in the situation I’m in, and to have him have somebody that I can help through something that I know is a difficult thing.”

For Cade’s family, seeing Parrott playing college football offers a glimpse of what could be ahead for their son.

“As a parent, it’s so scary, and you wonder, ‘What’s the future going to be like for him? Is he going to be able to live a normal life? Is he going to be able to live his dreams out?’” Cade’s family said.

Seeing Parrott accomplish his own dreams has helped answer some of those questions.

“To see that Dillon went through the same thing Cade did, but here’s Dylan playing for the Huskers — getting to see that gives us so much hope for Cade,” they said.

That connection was on display at Nebraska’s annual Fan Day, where high fives, autographs and long lines signaled that another football season was approaching.

For Cade, though, the day was about getting another chance to see the Husker who has become much more than one of his favorite players.

Today, Cade is in remission.

Parrott, meanwhile, is living the childhood dream that once may have seemed uncertain. He said his experience with cancer helped shape the person he is today.

“It helped to make me who I am and gave me my perspective on stuff,” Parrott said. “So I’m just thankful.”

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