More than the game: the Myles Menges story

Myles Menges had an incredible career as a collegiate athlete; he was named among the Division 2 Elite 100 Team for the Defensive Line, was the 2024 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the 2024 Cliff Harris Award for Small College Defensive Player of the Year.

Academically, he also stood out. He was the recipient of the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award four years in a row and was recognized six times on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

Through all these achievements, there was one he never thought he would have to add to his collegiate accolades; a brain tumor survivor.

Menges grew up in a small town with one big dream: to play college football. That dream carried him to Fort Hays State University (FHSU), where he spent his collegiate years pouring his heart into the game and serving as team captain before graduating in 2024 with a degree in Sports and Recreation Management.

Menges recalled the last moments of his collegiate football career, culminating in the final big game of the season. While it should have been one of the most memorable and important games of his career, Menges suddenly felt something was off.

“I had chills, a fever—I thought it was just a virus going around,” Menges recalled. “After the game, I told my roommate, ‘I need to go to Urgent Care.’”

While the tests for common viruses were negative, the pain in his head was unbearable. A scan revealed pneumonia in his right lung and a mass in his brain about the size of a grapefruit. In the fall of 2024, Menges was diagnosed with Grade 2 astrocytoma.

“I was devastated,” Menges said. “I went from being in peak physical condition to doing nothing and being concerned about my future. But I knew who I was. I wasn’t going to not fight this. If God was going to give me a battle, I was going to fight it.”

His family, who are well connected in the medical community, immediately began exploring the best course of treatment for him, which led them to Neurosurgeon Jayson Neil, MD, FAANS, FCNS, with AdventHealth Medical Group Neurosurgery at Shawnee Mission.

“You can tell from briefly interacting with Myles that he is charismatic, intelligent, kind, athletic, and wants to solve problems,” said Dr. Neil. “That is exactly the approach he used when we discussed his case. Our treatment discussions focused on maximal safe resection to reduce tumor size and minimize the risk of progression into a higher-grade tumor.”

From the moment Menges met with Dr. Neil, he knew he was going to be in the best hands.

“Dr. Neil was a godsend,” Menges said. “He explained everything. He didn’t just treat me—he respected me. He comforted my family. He was more than a neurosurgeon.”

Surgery was scheduled for March at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.

“It was on Ash Wednesday, and I remember receiving a blessing from the hospital Chaplain,” said Menges. “It was a comforting experience that gave me peace of mind that the surgery itself would actually be the easiest part of my journey.”

The surgery was a success. Recovery, however, was going to be the bigger challenge. Being an all-star football player meant that exercise and strength training was a daily habit for Myles, one that had to be put on the sidelines in exchange for bed rest, healing and therapy.

“Post-surgery, I faced three options for recovery: radiation, observation or a daily pill,” said Menges. “I chose the path that would allow me to heal without harsh side effects, which was regular observation. Slowly, month by month, I am beginning to lift more, move more, live more.”

Today, Menges is still fighting—but he’s also thriving. In July 2025, more than 6 months after his surgery, Menges reunited with Dr. Neil for an observational checkup.

“He is doing fantastic and has healed up well,” said Dr. Neil. “He certainly has no change in his enthusiasm as apparently he was doing pushups in the waiting room prior to our appointment.”

Throughout it all, his family was his rock.

“They’ve always been number one,” he said. “But this brought us even closer. I realized there’s more to life than football. It was time to step up and beat this together.”

His FHSU teammates also never left their captain’s side. Before and after surgery, they filled his hospital room in a constant rotation of support. And back at FHSU, the athletic director called Menges “a respectful and caring young man.”

“I am honored to have helped navigate Myles and his family in this harrowing journey nobody expects will happen to them,” said Dr. Neil. “He is a success story. We will continue to monitor Myles, but I look forward to watching him accomplish the goals he sets for himself in life.”

Menges’s story is no longer just about football or about a brain tumor. It’s about faith, family, and the kind of strength that doesn’t come from lifting weights, but from lifting others—and letting them lift you.