Since December, the Ohio State receiver has been battling testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and abdomen. He endured two rounds of chemotherapy, the last one particularly brutal and hopefully successful.

Since coming home to Grove City from treatment in Indianapolis a few weeks ago, Potokar has gradually regained strength and energy. On Monday, he felt well enough to tackle the weights for the first time in months.

"I didn't take it easy; I'm going to be sore tomorrow," Potokar said, chuckling. "But that's OK, it's a good soreness. It was good to get back moving again."

He plans to enroll for fall-quarter classes, although the resumption of his football career remains on hold until next spring at the earliest. Still, his talking about playing football again represents a major leap from what was on his mind in the dark days of April.

Potokar underwent "standard" chemo treatments from December to February and appeared to be responding well. That changed suddenly, though, and his doctors advised him his best option became a more intense treatment administered by an Indianapolis-based oncologist. A port was opened in Potokar's chest, and he had stem cells extracted, treated and returned to his body.

His parents, Ed Potokar and Nannette Kinman, stayed with him in Indiana.

Asked what the experience was like, Kinman said, "I would have to say hell. To watch your child suffer ... is one of the most helpless feelings. But he's an amazing young man. He never complained the whole way through."

Early on, though, it did not appear the treatment was working. Kinman said Dan fell into a "deep depression. At times, he thought he was going to die."

Dan describes it less dramatically.

"That was really kind of a rough week, pretty emotional," he said. "But luckily, at the end of the week, the nurse came in and told me my (cancer markers) had dropped significantly. That was a good day and a good moment, a huge turning point. I knew I was going to get through it."

If there's one thing the Potokar family has learned from his experience, though, it's that Dan is not necessarily through it yet. Yes, doctors are pleased with how he responded to this treatment, but he's going to be monitored closely in the coming months.

"The doctors in Indiana said they will not be celebrating until a year from now," Kinman said. "The numbers have to stay down for the treatment to be considered a success."

Ed Potokar said he suggested his son begin counseling "so that he can deal with the whole concept of when he goes in for a checkup, not worrying so much about, 'Is it back?' That's very common in cancer patients."

Dan Potokar will soon begin a low-dose oral chemotherapy, sort of a "maintenance" drug. But he doesn't think that will prevent him from continuing to rebuild his strength and regain some of the 35 pounds he has lost from his 185-pound frame.

The only thing it will do is keep him from re-growing his hair.

"That's no big deal," he said. "I've never been too picky about how I look, anyway."