On a crisp Saturday afternoon at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium, UW-Oshkosh football running back Nick Malueg (Caroline/Marion) looks every bit the picture of health—strong, steady and smiling. But just a few years ago, the Caroline native could barely walk 20 feet without crutches. 

A junior majoring in business and project management, Malueg balances classes and practices while appreciating every moment on the field, something he once feared he'd never experience again. 

What began as a sore throat before his senior year at Marion High School spiraled into a life-threatening infection that nearly ended his football dreams before they began. 

A sudden illness 

In late June 2022, Malueg went to the doctor for what seemed like simple tonsil pain. Tests for strep came back negative. He was sent home with pain medication. The next day, July 1, his tonsils were so swollen that doctors suspected mononucleosis and gave him a steroid injection. 

"I was fine that day," he said, "but a few days later, everything changed." 

By July 5, Malueg was in excruciating pain and spiking a high fever. His parents, Kim and Tony Malueg, rushed him to the emergency room in Shawano. Doctors quickly realized his condition was serious. Within hours, he was transported to ThedaCare Neenah for emergency care.

Specialists there diagnosed him with fusobacterium, a rare bacterial infection that had spread into his left hip, creating a septic joint. 

"I had just finished my junior year, my peak recruiting season and suddenly I couldn't even move," Malueg said. "It was basically eating my whole body away." 

Doctors performed emergency surgery at ThedaCare Neenah to drain the bacteria from his hip. When he was discharged nearly a week later, he weighed just 143 pounds, down almost 40 pounds from his pre-infection weight of 181. 

"It was incredibly humbling and scary," Malueg said. "Football wasn't even on my mind anymore; it felt too painful to think about when I was in that much pain physically." 

A mother's vigil and a father's steady hand 

While Malueg recovered in the hospital, his mother refused to leave his side. 

"My mom didn't sleep when I didn't sleep," he said. "She was there through the entire thing." 

The days blurred together in a haze of exhaustion and fear. Intravenous lines ran down both of Malueg's arms, each carrying a different medication. Alarms beeped without warning, summoning nurses into the room at all hours. 

One night, his dad, Tony, who drives a semi-truck for a food delivery service, walked in carrying a football—the same kind his son had spent years gripping under the Friday night lights.

Tony just finished another long day at work but came straight to the hospital, still in his work clothes, the fatigue plain on his face. 

He set the ball gently on his son's chest.

"It's not the adversity. That's life," Tony told him softly. "It's how you deal with it. Don't give up. Here's the ball. This is your focus. You're going to get back." 

Malueg looked down at the ball, then turned his face away and began to cry. 

"When he did that, I just broke down," Malueg said. "I turned away from the ball and bawled my eyes out."

From across the room, Kim watched the exchange unfold. 

"Tony told him, 'This is what you were dreaming about. You can do this. We can get through this and you will do this again,'" she said. 

For a long moment, the father and son sat quietly in the dim light of the hospital room, the ball resting between them. 

"It wasn't about the game," Malueg said of that moment. "It was about what the football symbolized, the hours I'd spent working for a dream that suddenly felt unreachable. It was a reminder to keep pushing, even when everything hurt." 

It was a small gesture, but for Malueg, it marked the first spark of hope that he might one day walk, let alone play, the game he loved again. 

Learning to walk again 

Once home, the hard work began. With a PICC line for antibiotics and months of recovery ahead, Malueg faced the daunting task of relearning how to walk. 

"I started with crutches, 20 feet at first, then 50, then 100." he said. "I crutched two miles before I switched to a cane. Then I walked 20 feet until I could run. It seems extreme, but at the time, I was willing to do anything to walk."

By early August, he was taking short steps without support. It was a small miracle. 

The lost season 

The infection and recovery meant missing his entire senior year of football at Marion High School. 

"Before I got sick, I was getting looks from a lot of schools," he said. "Afterward, most of that disappeared. But Oshkosh and North Central still believed in me." 

He committed to UW-Oshkosh, drawn by the close-knit community, strong academics and a football culture known for its grit. 

"It was local, great family aspect and some of the best football in the country," he said. 

A humbling return 

Getting back on the field was both exhilarating and humbling. 

"Automatically, you're going to be two steps behind," he said. "I love that environment, though, the chance to grow back, to earn it again. It's humbling knowing you might not ever be what you were, but I don't dwell on that. I focus on the fact that I can play at the next level tomorrow, and the next day, and the next." 

Every time he steps onto the field, Malueg carries with him the lessons of faith, perseverance and gratitude instilled by his parents. 

"Every play, every rep—it's a blessing," he said. "When I think about how close I was to never walking again, football feels like a miracle." 

The long road back taught him to value not just the game, but the community that came with it.

"When I chose Oshkosh, it was because of that family aspect," Malueg added. "The coaches, the players—it felt like a place that believed in me. Putting on that Titan uniform means a lot after everything that happened. It's not just football; it's being part of something bigger."

Head coach Peter Jennings, who leads the Titan football program, said Malueg's journey embodies the spirit he wants every player to carry onto the field.

"Nick's story really captures what Titan football is all about—resilience, hard work and heart," Jennings said. "Every player faces challenges, but the way he fought his way back shows the kind of toughness and belief we try to build in this program."