Team Impact: Boston College's Zion Johnson Forms Special Bond With Local Teen Battling Brain Tumor
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jack Giorgio is a fighter. Diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 11 in 2019, Jack has gone through over 60 chemotherapy sessions and surveillance scans. So far, treatment has been successful.
Jack's family -- Mom Sue and Dad Tony, plus older sisters, Madison and Allison -- have all been huge throughout the process. So has Jack's extended family: The Boston College football team.
Jack has formed a lifelong bond with Eagles offensive lineman Zion Johnson through Team Impact, a program that connects children with serious illnesses and college teams. He's attended games and practices, and even made a Spotify music playlist that was edited by his new friends.
"I'll say that the original playlist was not the playlist that it ended up being," explained Johnson, a potential first-round pick in this week's upcoming NFL Draft. "Because, you know, we got creative with it."
As Jack continued his treatment, Johnson grew closer to the 15-year-old. The two continue to inspire each other to this day.
"Absolutely. Jack overall is just a really good kid," said Johnson. "We've been able to talk over text. You know this whole process for me going into the Draft has just been really busy with a lot of moving parts. I've been everywhere.
"But I've had the opportunity to still have text conversations with Jack to see how he's doing," Johnson added.
"It's been nice to have people checking in and hanging out with during tough times," said Jack.
"Jack's been a huge inspiration. Just everything he's been through," said Jackson. "For us, we get to play a game we love and it's really a game at the end of the day.
"After everything he's been through it just shows that, even in the football world, there's things out there," continued Johnson. "That people can exhibit even more courage, even more strength, even, what he's been through -- it's been a lot."
Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 312-pound guard, is projected to be a mid- to late-first-round pick on Thursday night. Jack said it will be cool to see him drafted into the NFL, and is hoping Johnson lands in New England to protect quarterback Mac Jones for the foreseeable future.
"Yeah, that would be sick! Mac Jones is a beast so, if he could protect him, that would be sick," said Jack, before making a plea to Bill Belichick. "Can you please draft Zion first pick?"
But it really doesn't matter where Johnson ends up. His bond with Jack will continue no matter what. Their bond will never be broken, thanks to Team Impact.
"I've already told Jack that wherever I end up he's free to come out watch the game, do whatever," said Johnson. "That would be awesome to have him watch one of my games at the next level."
"It helps you get through your struggles and it's good to have a relationship with a team and have like family -- almost like family," said Jack.
"What it means to me is just relationships," Johnson said of Team Impact. "I've been able to meet Jack and Jack, I feel, is a person that I'll continue to talk to and communicate with throughout my life."
Johnson and the Eagles only saw it fit to make Jack a part of the team, presenting him with his own name plate and number at Boston College.
"Jack has experienced things he's gone through every day where he's really had to fight, and that fight has transitioned incredibly into our team," said Johnson. "We had our signing day for Jack and it was really a thing for our whole team, where it was like, 'Well Jack's a fighter and that's what epitomizes BC Football.' So he's really one of us."
"That's pretty sick," said Jack.
Jack Giorgio is now an offensive member of the Eagles. Maybe his next stop with be the NFL as well.
