Troy wide receiver Chris Lewis has been undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, he revealed in an interview with ESPN published Tuesday.

Lewis, a former Pleasant Grove High School star, has been undergoing a 10-week course of chemotherapy at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. He is scheduled for surgery on April 3 in hopes of removing or treating a tumor that was found in his left femur (upper leg bone).

“They did tell me that the tumor wasn’t attached to the bone,” Lewis told ESPN. “They told me it was the best news possible.”

The 6-foot-4 Lewis became a sensation in his first season at Troy after transferring from Kentucky, making numerous acrobatic catches and big-yardage plays He led the Sun Belt Conference with 10 receiving touchdowns, and caught 32 passes for 735 yards, ranking among the national leaders with a per-catch average of 23 yards.

Lewis told ESPN he began feeling tightness in his left knee early in the 2023 season, but did not undergo an MRI until after the season ended in December. During the scan, doctors found a mass behind his knee that was eventually diagnosed as osteosarcoma, described as an “aggressive” form of bone cancer.

A redshirt junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining, Lewis’ football future won’t be known until after the surgery and subsequent follow-up treatments. Troy, the two-time defending Sun Belt champion, opens the 2024 season Aug. 31 at home vs. Nevada.

“If I can play, I’m playing,” Lewis said. “It just really depends on what kind of recovery I have and how long that I have to recover before the season. If they clear me right before the season, I may sit out so my body can be in the best condition. If I have some months to train and get my body ready, I’ll be out there.”

Lewis has set up a GoFundMe account to help offset medical expenses. He’s hoping to raise $150,000.