Colorado Ice player helps wife fight cancer; now she helps him in football

The rain had been falling in Cody Clutter's life for a while.

In the past two years, the 18-year-old sophomore at Centennial High School in Fort Collins had been in and out of school, mixed up in drugs and alcohol and in search of a direction that could lead him somewhere, anywhere out of his rut.

Then the phone rang March 11 at the Mulberry Inn.

Tina Clutter, Cody's mother and assistant manager at the Inn, answered the call.

On the other end was Hilda Vermillion.

The small in stature, soft-spoken, yet determined, cancer survivor was looking for a room for her son Phin, 6, and her husband Troy Vermillion -- who was chasing a dream to play with the Colorado Ice of the United Indoor Football League.

As the phone conversation continued, Hilda realized she could help Cody.

Before long, Cody -- a football fanatic at heart -- was helping Troy warm up for practice at a local park, wearing his receiving gloves and being treated like he was something special.

The clouds started to break.

Troy, now 23, knew how Cody felt.

Growing up in Aurora, Troy fought the same problems.

With an unstable home life, Troy battled drugs and alcohol at Aurora Central High School.

Even though Troy could run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash on command, he lacked the guidance to take advantage of his full-ride football scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska.

So when Troy missed a mandatory ACT testing date five years ago, ruining his football scholarship opportunity, he felt lost.

Fresh out of high school and registered in the Army Reserve, Troy started working at an H&R Block office in Aurora where Hilda was the office manager.

Before Troy knew what happened, Hilda took an interest in him, directed him toward the Lord and helped make the crazy pieces of his life look more like a mosaic than a mess.

"I was probably the most lost and hurting person because I had that kind of look on me," Troy said. "But at the same time she said, 'I saw gold in you. I saw Jesus in you before you did,' and thank God, because I didn't see anything."

Then Troy heard the news.

Hilda had cancer.

Football was the furthest thing from Troy's mind.

While he mentioned to Hilda once that he used to play football, Troy wasn't the imposing 6-foot-3, 230-pound man he is today. Hilda thought nothing of it. She had more pressing concerns.

At the same time she was fighting myelofibrosis, the mother of a 1-year-old child was in the process of finalizing a divorce.

Without a second thought, Troy offered his assistance.

He invited her to live with his grandparents and before long, Troy fell in love with Hilda.

Without any sign of her condition improving, Troy convinced her to marry him -- on the third proposal.

That's when Hilda found out Troy was more than a novice football player.

Unfortunately, the news came around the same time the doctors told her she had only a few months to live.

"She actually told me, 'If I die, promise me you will play football,' " Troy said. "I made that promise to her and I believe God's good and God is going to take care of me."

Troy has a reason to believe.

After one year of helping Hilda fight the cancer, Hilda came off her radiation treatment and the cancer vanished.

Hilda has been in remission ever since.

Four years later, Troy and Hilda share a cancer-free life full of football.

And since Troy helped Hilda beat the odds, Hilda has taken it upon herself to do everything she can to help Troy make it to the National Football League.

Troy took his first big step toward that dream Friday when he not only played in the Colorado Ice's inaugural game, he recorded a game-high five receptions in the Ice's 26-25 come-from-behind victory against the Billings Outlaws.

"I gave it all to God," Troy said after the game. "I had a lot of naysayers saying I wasn't going to do it.

"So it definitely is a blessing."

It's a blessing Troy has been willing to share.

Cody and his mother couldn't be more grateful.

Not only has Troy taken Cody under his wing since he started practicing with the Ice, Troy has helped Cody become the Colorado Ice assistant equipment manager.

Tina said the Vermillions have no idea how much they have helped her son.

"He feels worthwhile now," Tina said. "He feels like he belongs now. I thank Troy so much for that.

"Now, Cody has some hope in life."

And the smile to prove it.