Tag: Cancer

Broncos assistant coach Zack Grossi battling rare cancer

“The Broncos’ support was truly overwhelming. They have gone above and beyond, and it’s hard to put into words what it means to me.”

Denver Broncos passing game specialist Zack Grossi has been diagnosed with a yolk sac tumor, a rare malignant cancer.

Grossi was hired by the Broncos as an offensive quality control coach in 2022 and was promoted to passing game specialist this offseason.

“Our unwavering support is with Zack and his family as he takes some time away to focus on his health,” Denver head coach Sean Payton said in a statement. “Knowing what Zack is all about and talking with him since his diagnosis, I have no doubt he will Fight Like A Bronco. We’ll be with him every step of the way and can’t wait to welcome him back to our staff.”

The 35-year-old coach released the following statement through the team’s official website on Saturday:

I’ve been part of a team since I was 8 years old. Now, as I begin my fight against cancer, I’ve found peace in knowing that I’m not alone.

For the last three months, I felt a little bit off, and recently, I began to have trouble breathing. Last week, I went to the Broncos’ medical staff, and they told me we needed to run several tests. I underwent bloodwork and a scan, and that’s when they found the tumor in my chest cavity.

Officially, I have been diagnosed with a Yolk Sac Tumor.

The diagnosis is scary, but the good news is it’s highly treatable. I began chemotherapy this week, and after a few more months of chemo, I’ll have surgery to remove the remaining tumor.

My approach isn’t so different than getting ready for a game. I’ll stay the course, keep working and keep grinding. Day by day is my motto. I have marching orders from my doctors, and I’m trusting the process.

I don’t want to put a date on my return, but I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love.

After I was diagnosed, the outreach from Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner and the Broncos was immediate. The night of my scan, Greg texted me to tell me I had his and Carrie’s full support. From Sean Payton to George Paton to Beau Lowery, Vince Garcia, Dr. Steven Geraghty and Dr. Andrea Holland, the Broncos’ support was truly overwhelming. They have gone above and beyond, and it’s hard to put into words what it means to me.

Everything they’ve done for me, my wife, Jacqueline, and my daughter, Sophia, has been first class. That includes the Broncos Family Network, which has been incredible to my wife.

There’s times — because of all the support — when I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I’m guided by Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

For years, I’ve been a coach with the Broncos for the Fight Like A Bronco Game. The organization does a great job honoring those impacted by cancer. Now, it’s even more personal for me and I am blessed to have an incredible team behind me.

For anybody that has recently received a diagnosis or is currently fighting cancer, I want you to find your team, too. And I want you to know you’re not fighting this alone. It’s about never giving up. That’s what Fight Like A Bronco is all about.

It’s also incredibly important to me to encourage Broncos Country to prioritize early screenings. If you feel something, trust it. Remember: Not all cancers show up in your bloodwork. Make sure you’re utilizing the physicals, bloodwork, scans and screenings that are available to you.

And as I undergo treatment, I have only one goal in mind: to kick this tumor’s you-know-what and get back to leading my family, helping to raise our daughter and continuing my career.

Go Broncos!

Denver’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers will be designated as the team’s “Fight Like A Bronco” game as part of the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative this month.

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Chiefs to celebrate cancer survivors on Monday night for Crucial Catch game vs. Saints

Kansas City #Chiefs to celebrate cancer survivors on Monday night for Crucial Catch game vs. New Orleans #Saints | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints will have more meaning beyond the scoreboard. As part of the NFL’s Crucial Catch campaign, the night is dedicated to cancer survivors and informing the public on early detection.

Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer aims to move the country towards unprecedented early detection and risk reduction of screenable cancers. In partnership with the University of Kansas Cancer Center, the Chiefs hosted lunches for patients who had been affected by cancer and watched practice at the University of Kansas Health System Training Complex.

The Crucial Catch campaign allows the NFL to reach and impact a wider population affected by various forms of cancer. The Chiefs continued their efforts recently as Mike Pennel and Chris Jones visited the University of Kansas Cancer Center to meet with patient Jill Shahan and surgical oncologist Jamie Wagner to discuss their journeys.

Crucial Catch calls on people across the country to access an NFL-funded digital tool that provides users with recommendations on how they can take action to keep healthy and reduce cancer risk. Fans are encouraged to print out unique cards to share who they cheer for Monday night.

For more information, check out the website: https://www.chiefs.com/community/chiefsvscancer/

Jake Haener played against the Cardinals with 32 stitches in his face

Jake Haener showed a lot of grit on Saturday night. He played against the Cardinals with 32 stitches in his face:

You can’t say Jake Haener didn’t show a lot of grit against the Arizona Cardinals. The New Orleans Saints quarterback missed practice last Monday for a surgical procedure to remove skin cancer from his right cheek, then returned to the next training camp session on Wednesday. He went into Saturday night’s preseason game with 32 stiches in his face protected only by Steri-Strip bandages. He’s scheduled to have those stiches removed the following Monday once the Saints return to Irvine.

It says a lot about Haener’s fortitude that he could compartmentalize his personal health while competing for a roster spot, and playing well given the circumstances. He took the field at State Farm Stadium with just a couple of starters surrounding him in young offensive tackles Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning.

Haener’s efforts were overshadowed by rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler on the third-team offense, who led the Saints to their only touchdown-scoring drive as well as the game-winning field goal. But Haener completed just as many passes as Rattler (9) on four fewer attempts (13), and his 58-yard lob to A.T. Perry was the game’s longest play from scrimmage.

So this battle is far from over. We’ll see how both passers handle joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers this week ahead of their second preseason game next Saturday.

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Jake Haener to get skin cancer procedure Monday, expected to practice Wednesday

Dennis Allen says Jake Haener plans to undergo a skin cancer procedure on Monday, and to return to practice Wednesday before next week’s preseason game:

After some possible uncertainty regarding the availability of New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener, it’s looking like the Fresno State product won’t skip a beat after all. At least that’s the expectation.

This week Haener shared that he had developed a rare skin cancer on his facial area. Upon this finding, Haener had a biopsy done quickly to further inspect his condition. He is now expected to have a procedure soon which should sideline him for just one training camp practice, according to head coach Dennis Allen.

He’ll have the procedure Monday, the players are off Tuesday, and he’s expected back at practice on Wednesday. The Saints are preparing for next Saturday’s preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals so it’s a quick turnaround with the backup quarterbacks expected to play often. After hearing this, the plan is that Haener will only miss one day of practice and be right back to it on Wednesday after the off day. But this is a delicate situation and things may not go according to plan, so stay tuned.

Haener has had a very good camp up to this point and with rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler keeping the battle interesting, Haener’s availability is key. Rattler will take a lot of reps behind Derek Carr on Monday after the Saints released Nathan Peterman.

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Jake Haener dealing with a rare form of skin cancer

Jake Haener shared that he’s dealing with a rare form of skin cancer. He’s taken action to treat it, but says his work at Saints training camp is his focus:

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener was seen wearing a bandage on the right side of his face at Friday’s media availability after training camp practice, which he disclosed was due to treatment for a form of skin cancer.

Haener said it was rare skin cancer for his age group which developed as a “bump” on his cheek just before training camp began. He ultimately had it removed and biopsied. He will learn more from doctors on Aug. 1 and will form a treatment plan from then on out.

It is considered to be non-life threatening, which is a relief, and up to now has not prevented Haener from practicing in any capacity. However, it does need to be taken care of, and he is currently waiting to see how long he can go before it ultimately needs to be treated, as he will need to get another procedure done on his face.

Haener said that his family, the Saints training staff, and people in the building have been great about supporting him, and he is focused on what he needs to do “here” at training camp. He’s in good spirits despite the scary situation. As of right now, information regarding what type of cancer it is will remain confidential until Haener is ready to discuss it.

“I feel like I’m pretty young and healthy to be able to have something like that pop up,” Haener told local media on Friday. “But I want to take care of it, and I want to be responsible about it, and obviously not make it a distraction because I’m gonna be fine, everything’s gonna be taken care of. But like I said, I don’t wanna wait too long for something like this, and I wanna get it handled.”

The Saints experienced a similar situation last summer when tight end Foster Moreau signed with them after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he was able to have treated early on. That quick action helped him recover rapidly and not miss a beat in his first season with his hometown team. Here’s hoping for good news for Haener, too.

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This PGA Tour pro with nearly 400 starts had a cancerous lump removed, but he’s back swinging

Recently he noticed a curious bump that was hindering his swing and causing some discomfort.

AUSTIN, Texas — Golf has always come easy to Omar Uresti, a PGA Tour veteran with nearly 400 starts and 14 top-10 finishes on his resume. In fact, he made his first ace at the age of eight, a fact that he still considers among his highlights with the sport.

After a successful collegiate career at the University of Texas, Uresti turned professional in 1991 and played 11 full seasons on the PGA Tour, earning nearly $4 million.

And although he’s only dabbled on the PGA Tour Champions, Uresti still plays frequently and even qualified (albeit controversially) for the PGA Championship five times between 2015 and 2021.

But recently he noticed a curious bump that was hindering his swing and causing some discomfort. Although the 55-year-old didn’t think much of it, he finally went in to investigate.

“I kept kind of hitting and rubbing over this bump on my leg and finally, after a couple weeks, I decided to look at it,” he said. “And when I did I was like, oh, that doesn’t look good. So I decided to go to the dermatologist and they biopsied it.”

Uresti was later told it was squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most common forms of skin cancer. Squamous and basal cells are in the top layer of the skin, called the epidermis. About eight in 10 skin cancers are basal cell cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. While it’s rare for it to spread to other parts of body, if it’s not removed completely then it can come back in the same place on the skin.

After getting the lump removed, Uresti said he feels fine.

2023 RBC Canadian Open
Omar Uresti of the United States hits his first shot on the second hole during the first round of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

“I had to go back in and I missed the qualifier in Tucson so I drove back and got it done immediately,” he said. “There are not a bunch of tournaments going on. And so I had it cut out. I had five stitches or about a five-centimeter-long cut. They had to stitch it together and they told me two weeks with no strenuous activities.

“So, I’m finally back at it and the game still feels about the same. Hopefully, it’ll get a little better.”

Uresti played in five PGA Tour events in 2023, but failed to make the cut in any of them. He did post a 69 in the second round at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in November, however, and finished at even par, but still missed the weekend by five strokes.

Still, he feels he could break through at any time and add to his career earnings, which are nearly $4 million.

“It’s been kind of inconsistent,” Uresti said of his game. “You know, a lot of good holes and a couple bad holes but they’re making some swing adjustments lately and trying to get it back to where it used to be and it’s just a matter of the body letting it do it.”

As a player who has played in PGA Tour events in four different decades, Uresti is not thrilled with the current golf landscape and the fracturing that has transpired in recent years.

“It’s really a bummer that we’re having this war go on between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour,” Uresti said. “I think the commissioner may have overreacted a little bit and panicked. You know, I think if he’d have come out and said, ‘You have six release forms to go play other tournaments, on any other tours, and if you play any more than that, that’s it.’ If he just would have said something like that, I think it would have been OK.

“That way they would have had the big names, and we’d been able to have them as well.”

Scottish golfer running world-famous marathon for cancer charity despite his own diagnosis

An avowedly private individual, he has also decided to speak about his illness in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

In the London Marathon next month there will be hundreds running to raise money for cancer-related charities. Paul Moultrie of Troon will be one of them, except that he is quite different from most participants because he is running WITH cancer.

Just six days before the Marathon, 59-year-old Moultrie, founder of the Mind Body Golf fitness consultancy, will complete a program of radiotherapy to treat his prostate cancer, a course that he began at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow. He is already undergoing hormone therapy to treat his cancer, and will probably have to do so for the next two years or so – “it’s not a walk in the park,” Moultrie said. “I’ve put on tummy fat and get hot flushes which are things I’d never dreamed I would get.”

To cap it all, while on holiday with his wife Gillian in Tenerife last month, Scottish seniors golf internationalist Moultrie tripped and fell heavily, sustaining a painful injury to his hand and wrist that saw the medics on the island fit him with a brace. It was only when he got home and was advised to go to A & E at University Hospital Crosshouse that x-rays showed he had fractured the important scaphoid bone that needs time to heal and no sharp jolts.

“That was me unable to run for four weeks at least,” explained Moultrie, “but I have taken to walking on the beaches around here to keep jarring to a minimum and have been averaging 10 to 12 miles per outing. I must have walked hundreds of miles already and the other day I walked 14 miles.

“I had never fallen in my life and it was just my bad luck that it happened in the middle of training for the marathon.”

Many other individuals would have called it day and quit training, but in a remarkable show of determination, Moultrie has declared that, even if he has to walk part of the course, he will complete the London Marathon for the fourth time.

His family has had a brush with cancer before, his mother Elizabeth dying of it, and now Gillian and their two grown-up children have rallied round to support Moultrie in his huge task of beating his own cancer and running the London Marathon to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

An avowedly private individual, he has also decided to speak about his illness in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer which will affect one in eight men, with Scots more likely than others in the rest of the UK to die from the disease because it was not detected early enough.

It was the realization that six of his friends from the golfing world had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that made the super-fit Moultrie ask his doctor for a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test which showed he had six or seven times the levels deemed normal. Further tests confirmed he had prostate cancer.

“It was last June and I had none of the usual symptoms so I was asked why I wanted the PSA test,” Moultrie recalled. “I’m glad I insisted as the earlier the cancer is detected the better your chance of surviving it.

“I must commend all the NHS staff that have been dealing me with treatment. They have been absolutely brilliant.

“The same goes for my trainer Gil Stevenson, who has been a tower of strength.”

A well-known member of the Scottish Seniors Golfing Society, Moultrie has the backing of his fellow golfers and with their help has already exceeded his personal £5,000 target for fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK by running the London Marathon – he completed the marathon three times some years ago, and knows it will be more difficult at the age of 59, but his mental approach could not be better and golf has played a huge part in that as has Pilates.

Moultrie says he wasn’t a very good golfer but his record belies that. As a junior, men’s and now senior player, the Royal Troon member has competed successfully at club, county, national and international level and last year represented Scotland in the R & A Home Internationals at West Kilbride Golf Club.

Still working as a chartered quantity surveyor, Moultrie was joined by his wife Gillian in taking up Pilates. An optometrist by profession, Gillian decided to become a full-time Pilates instructor and her husband also gained qualifications, both trained by the world-renowned Body Control Pilates organization.

Mixing Pilates with the Mind Factor systems devised by the famed performance coach Karl Morris, Moultrie created his own ‘Inner Caddie’ program with which he aims to help golfers help themselves to a better game, especially extending the playing days of seniors.

“It’s our age group in Scotland that must become more aware of prostate cancer,” said Moultrie. “It’s a message I want to spread and I hope to do that by running the London Marathon.”

You can find Paul Moultrie’s page here.

Saints select Foster Moreau for Ed Block Courage Award

The New Orleans Saints recognized tight end Foster Moreau with the 2023 Ed Block Courage Award after he overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma:

This is cool: The New Orleans Saints recognized tight end Foster Moreau as their recipient for the 2023 Ed Block Courage Award after he overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This award, the Saints said in a statement, was “created in honor of the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts to annually recognize one player from every NFL team who best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage.”

All 32 teams select a recipient for the award via vote, and Moreau was an easy fit. His perseverance in the face of adversity is inspiring. That he was able to overcome a battle with cancer and quickly return to the field is mighty impressive.

Moreau, 26, is a New Orleans native who starred at Jesuit High School before his four-year run with the LSU Tigers. He was teammates with Saints quarterback Derek Carr on the Raiders and teamed up with him again this season, catching 18 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown.

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Stanford’s Play for Her campaign, dedicated to Cal coach Nancy McDaniel raises money for breast cancer research

The campaign has raised more than $150,000 toward breast cancer research.

Nancy McDaniel found herself back in a hospital bed in July, battling cancer for a second time, and realized that she needed to get moving again. It started with a short walk down the hall.

“Anybody who would come visit, I would say, you have to walk me,” said McDaniel, the longtime Cal women’s golf coach, with a laugh.

At home, friends would come in the morning, at noon and at 5 o’clock to walk with her to the end of the street, and eventually, around the block. The walking helped her physically, but the connection meant everything.

That healing connection has been magnified throughout the country in the form of a fundraiser organized by one of McDaniel’s former players and current head coach at Stanford, Anne Walker.

So far, the Play For Her campaign, tied to this week’s Stanford Intercollegiate, has raised more than $150,000 toward breast cancer research. One of the longest-running tournaments in college golf, the Oct. 20-22 event is hosted by Dr. Condoleezza Rice, who lost her own mother, Angelena, to breast cancer in 1985.

McDaniel cried when Walker called to ask if they could dedicate this year’s event to her. Funds will go directly to McDaniel’s oncologist, Dr. Hope Rugo, and her research at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“We have 120 women in the field,” said Walker. “Statistically, one in eight women get diagnosed in their lifetime. You do the quick math on that … 15 kids in the field are going to battle breast cancer in their lifetime. So if we can educate them and make them more aware, maybe of those 15, a couple more will have better outcomes because they’ve had earlier intervention.”

First diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, McDaniel was high-fiving with her doctor last June about being cancer-free. Weeks later, she found out the cancer had returned in her stomach.

Nancy McDaniel enjoys a round of golf with her husband Jay and their kids Molly (24) and Tyler (26). (courtesy photo)

McDaniel, a 56-year-old mother of two, started chemotherapy again in August and took a leave of absence from coaching. She’s scheduled to return to work on Nov. 1.

Associate coach Beverly Terry has taken over the reins in the meantime, with Katie Mitchell helping onsite at tournaments. Husband Jay, head professional at Claremont Country Club, helps out as a volunteer assistant, in addition to anchoring her support system.

“(Bev) is just a poster coach for compassion,” said McDaniel of Terry, now in her ninth season with the Bears.

Cal coach Nancy McDaniel played college golf at Washington for longtime coach Mary Lou Mulflur, now in her 41st year of coaching. (courtesy Washington athletics)

McDaniel was part of Washington coach Mary Lou Mulflur’s first recruiting class in the mid-1980s, earning All-American status and competing on professional tours around the world before becoming the founding head coach at Cal in 1994.

“I would take a thousand just like her in a heartbeat,” said Mulflur, who donated a sizable check to the Play for Her campaign.

McDaniel doesn’t want her players or her 24-year-old daugther, Molly, to have to worry about breast cancer. But she also wants them to understand the importance of being an advocate in their own health journey. To pay attention to toxins in their food, in cleaning products and in what they put on their bodies. And to stay ahead of screenings and self-tests.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and McDaniel wants the next generation to understand and embrace the platform they have around breast cancer and other important issues.

“This takes courage,” she notes, “and it is your opportunity to affect the bigger picture.”

Washington assistant coach Anna Temple chose to play for McDaniel at Cal because she wanted to get better. She knew McDaniel would create an environment that would challenge, and she learned to appreciate that even more when she returned to Cal to work for McDaniel as an assistant coach.

Now that she’s working alongside Mulflur at Washington, Temple sees where much of what has been passed down to her got started. The connection carries on through the generations.

This week at Stanford, all generations are working toward one goal that pushes beyond the scorecard.

“Golf is a very tight-knit community,” said Temple. “It’s not surprising to me at all that Anne is using this event for a purpose that’s bigger than all of us.”

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Former Alabama and current NFL All-Pro opens up about losing his mother to cancer

Quinnen Williams opens up about the difficulties of losing his mother to cancer

One of Nick Saban’s biggest recruiting wins in the past few years is defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. He is one of the funniest and most outgoing guys to play the game and has bloomed into one of the best players in the NFL. In 2022, he was a First-Team All-Pro and signed one of the largest tackles for a defensive tackle in the history of the NFL this offseason.

However, life hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for Williams. In a recent sit-down interview with Ryan Clark of ESPN, Williams talks about losing his mother to breast cancer when he was in middle school.

She continues to be a large driving force in his life despite not being with him anymore. Both Quinnen and his brother Quincy, also with the Jets, remain very active with the American Cancer Society as a way to help future kids from losing a parent at such a young age.