In sports, among the highlight reels, larger-than-life salaries, and eye-popping feats of athleticism, it's easy to forget that every athlete is still a human being. Today, however, we were given a sobering reminder of that reality following the latest news concerning Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry.
According to team trainer Rick Burkholder, Berry was placed on the non-football injury list today due to the concern that he has lymphoma. For now, all that is known is that Berry has a "mass" in his chest, which was discovered after he recently told the team's medical staff that he was suffering from chest pains. He underwent an MRI on Friday, and while the results of his test don't necessarily indicate lymphoma, Berry's symptoms are consistent enough with the disease that he will head to Atlanta to take a test with a specialist.
Eric Berry will see specialist in Atlanta for condition "leading consideration" of Lymphoma, per trainer Rick Burholder. No diagnosis yet.
— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) November 24, 2014Per a statement Berry released on the Kansas City website this morning, he is staying optimistic:
“I am truly thankful for all of the support from family, friends, coaches, teammates and the entire Chiefs kingdom. At first I was in shock with the diagnosis on Saturday and did not even want to miss a game, but I understand that right now I have to concentrate on a new opponent. I have great confidence in the doctors and the plan they are going to put in place for me to win this fight. I believe that I am in God’s hands and I have great peace in that. I know my coaches and teammates will hold things down here the rest of the season and until I am back running out of the tunnel at Arrowhead. I am so thankful and appreciative of being a part of this franchise and playing in front of the best fans in the NFL. I will be back!”
We send our best wishes to Berry, his family, and his teammates during this time.
[via SB Nation]
