HOUSTON — At Kingwood Park High School, whether it’s in the classroom or the locker room, Eric Coovert can take seemingly anything and turn it into a lesson.
“He makes it comprehendible… and it’s like exciting to learn history,” said History 1301 Junior Mackenzie Wilkey.
Coovert was Kingwood Park Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year and an Humble ISD District Teacher of the Year Finalist for 2023-2024.
He’s also an assistant varsity football (safeties) coach and an adoring father and husband who would seem to have it all.
“It’s been extremely tough…” he said, describing the last several months.
It’s what he’s had that has changed everything.
“This all kind of started back in March… they found about an 11-centimeter tumor,” Coovert said.
Further testing would confirm it was plasmablastic lymphoma.
“I was a wreck for about a week… everything I looked at online… wasn’t good,” he said.
For Coovert, it’s been months of a week of treatments which consist of a machine connected to him, on a 24-hour pump cycle, in which three chemos are pumping into his body, he said.
During the first week of each cycle, Coovert makes an approximately 30-mile drive to The Woodlands to get a refill of his chemo bag.
Then there’s the week of exhaustion that follows.
“They told me from beginning… I'm on so many aggressive chemos that I'm gonna get hit like a wrecking ball,” said Coovert.
But for all he’s had to endure he hasn’t had to fight alone his students, athletes and community have rallied around the Cooverts… who only welcomed their daughter Celeste into the world 10 weeks ago.
“We never allowed ourselves to see the negatives… we focused on the positives mostly,” says Coovert’s wife Emily who has been right be his side.
“He’s such a genuine person and that’s part of why I fell in love with him. Just so kind and so willing to be there for anyone.”
Unbeknownst to Coovert, his fellow coaches set up a GoFundMe for him and one of his students did as well.
“I think my biggest concern was, how, how to accept help? And how do I thank all these people donating? And pretty much my family, and my wife said, you thank them by beating this thing. You do your job, they're gonna do their job to help you out,” said Coovert.
Even in the fight of his life though, Coovert wants to help others.
“The one thing I could do though… always help out others as much as I can and be positive about this because no matter what, if I can help out someone would now be worth everything,” Coovert said.
His diagnosis was also hard on his second family.
“There were tears, there was emotion… I said, 'Guys it’s ok to be upset. It’s OK to cry,'” said Maple.
And – around their coach – the team built their season motto.
“stay relentless... and that’s exactly how to determine how he’s been this year… he was relentless with his fight,” said Kingwood Park senior safety Sean Kloesel.
So a few weeks ago when coach Coovert got some news ahead of a big game he knew exactly who he had to break it to… the video has gone viral.
“Like a cold breeze just came over my whole body… I went and hugged him… and talked to him… I was proud of him,” said Kloesel.
The coach still has to finish his treatment which is scheduled to last about another month-and-a-half.
“I’m very grateful for it because I get to be out here instead of a hospital… and I’m able to take care of my kid and my family,” Coovert says of the pump he must wear at all times during the treatment.
And while his Panthers didn’t make the playoffs this year… no one would argue they’ve already won the most important battle
Whether it’s winning a playoff game, having him safe means so much more,” Kloesel says.
The teacher and coach whose greatest lesson has been the one about himself.
“I’m getting stronger every, single day. I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel… and things are going to get better," Coovert said.