Johnny DuRocher could not hold back a smile when he noticed a media room filled to the brim with anxious reporters.

"Sweet!" exclaimed the junior.

The former Husky quarterback was noticeably upbeat and optimistic when he addressed the media for the first time since being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

DuRocher will seek a second opinion and has surgery scheduled for later this month. His football days are almost assuredly over.

"You want to play and you've been playing for so long," said DuRocher of the end of his football career. "I think it's different when it's your say when you get to stop playing. I don't really have much of a say in this."

Doctors first noticed the tumor — which is believed to be benign — after DuRocher had CAT scans and MRIs taken of his head following the Stanford football game Nov. 11.

Had the quarterback not incurred a concussion, the tumor may not have been found.

"The concussion may have been the best thing that could have ever happened," said coach Tyrone Willingham.

DuRocher shared that positive sentiment.

"I'm thinking about writing that guy a 'thank you' note," he said, referring to the Cardinal player who knocked him out of the game.

Now DuRocher can look to the future.

A sociology major with the opportunity to graduate in the spring, the transfer from the University of Oregon admitted he was excited to try something other than football.

"It's kind of the closing of a chapter and the beginning of a new one," he said.

DuRocher has his sights set on walking onto the UW baseball team as soon as he recovers.

With the prospect of coaching also becoming a real possibility for DuRocher, Willingham acknowledged that next year there would still be a place for the junior in the program.

"It all depends on what Johnny wants to do, that will be the key," Willingham said.

The recovery process from this type of surgery is variable. How DuRocher feels day-to-day will determine how much he is able to physically extend himself.

Finding the tumor earlier rather than later saved DuRocher from something that could have become a major concern down the road.

"I'm just happy that I have a chance to get it out soon," he said.

DuRocher is expected to make a full recovery. In fact, he even mentioned that his eyesight and balance might improve with the tumor removed. Now that family, teammates, friends and the general public have become aware of his situation, DuRocher admitted he is grateful for the response he has received.

"People are real supportive," he said. "I've been getting a lot of e-mails, a lot of phone calls, which I really do appreciate — it really does help."

Reporter Joshua Mayers: joshuamayers@thedaily.washington.edu