Be grateful for everything. Because you never know when things can (snaps fingers), and everything's gone.”

Gulf Shores senior and cancer survivor Tyler Burkett

After he worked his way back to the practice field following his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Tyler Burkett has officially returned to game action for the Gulf Shores Dolphins.

Burkett was marked cancer-free on Sept. 23 before he made his season debut on Oct. 4 when Gulf Shores hosted St. Paul's. The senior lineman said the feeling of running onto the field again was second to none.

"It feels good to be back in the uniform, and especially running out of the tunnel," Burkett said after Friday's home game against Theodore. "I'm not seeing as much playing time as I want, but I didn't think I'd ever play again, so I can't complain."

AN EXTRA SPECIAL RUNOUT

Last Friday, he had a few friendly faces at the end of the tunnel as the Dolphins celebrated senior night. A dozen senior football players ran through a gauntlet of their underclassmen teammates and were greeted by loved ones for a picture at midfield. That's where Burkett's mother, sisters and girlfriend awaited him.

"That was crazy. Just my mom, my sisters and my girl. Because, basically besides my grandma, that's all I've got," Burkett said of the senior night runout. "That was really important to me. It sounds kind of weird, but when you run out and it's your turn and they say what you've done, it felt special to me."

As he still attempts to regain his sea legs in the trenches, the Gulf Shores lineman said this is just the beginning of his return to the gridiron.

"I'm still trying to get to where I was. I used to think I was slow, I'm definitely slower now," Burkett said. "But this offseason is going to be big, a lot of working out and getting back in shape."

WHAT IT TOOK TO GET BACK – ON THE FIELD

Since he started practicing with the Dolphins in August, Burkett worked his way back into his game uniform one day at a time.

"Definitely just being out there and doing it," he said. "Just going through practice. I had to start slow but as you go and go, it gets a little better."

While he lacks in strength at the moment, Burkett has found something else in his repertoire that he can lean on in the trenches.

"My hands have gotten a lot better," Burkett said. "Now I'm working on getting my pad level back, because my knees are still pretty rough."

WHAT IT TOOK TO GET BACK – OFF THE FIELD

Part of filling out the uniform included regaining some of the weight he lost through chemotherapy.

"In the state game, I was 265. On Thursday, I weighed in at 254," Burkett said. "But when I first got back, I was a clean 240, so I put on about 14 pounds."

The key? One ingredient.

"Milk. Like some days I won't even eat, I'll just drink milk," Burkett said. "Whole milk. I don't mess with the 2%. No 2%, just whole milk."

A RESOUNDING WELCOME

He heard the physical applause from fans at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium Friday night, but Burkett has been hearing plenty of positivity from his teammates in the locker room as he worked his way back into the lineup.

"The support has been really strong from my teammates," Burkett said. "Teammates just telling you to keep pushing and everything, so they've been great."

ONLY THE BEGINNING

Although he knows this is only the beginning, he looks forward to the rest of the journey.

"Just keep working every day to get back to the old 74," Burkett said. "This new one is a little different."

All the while, he's applying the lessons he learned from beating cancer.

"Be grateful," Burkett said. "Be grateful for everything. Because you never know when things can (snaps fingers), and everything's gone."