Chiefs’ Eric Berry Placed on Non-Football Illness List, Out for Rest of Season

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As an athlete and football player, Eric Berry has always shown to be a unique talent and performer, exuding great toughness and versatility.

At Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia, Berry was a two-sport star in track and football, running 100 meters in 10.66 seconds and 200 meters in 21.44 seconds, and starring at cornerback and quarterback while becoming a top-rated prospect. In 2007, Berry committed to the University of Tennessee, and despite a fifth-year senior ahead of him at safety, the young freshman was able to get the starting job in just the second game of the season, compiling five interceptions with 222 return yards on those picks, a school record.

As a sophomore, Berry was already named a team captain, and led with his play on the field, recording seven interceptions, and broke his own school record with 265 return yards and two touchdowns, leading to being named first-team All South Eastern Conference (SEC), SEC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-American. Despite only two interceptions as a junior, Berry was given the Jim Thorpe award as the best defensive back in college football while again being selected first team All-SEC and unanimous first-team All-American again.

After a stellar college career, Berry was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2010 NFL Draft, and became an instant star, compiling 77 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown. His performance helped aid a defense that was 29th in points allowed to 10th, and was named to a Pro Bowl, the first Chiefs rookie to be named to the game since the late great Derrick Thomas.

In the first game of his sophomore NFL campaign, however, Berry tore his ACL and lost his season, but came back with a vengeance in the 2012 season with 73 tackles, an interception, and another Pro Bowl selection to be a bright spot on a 2-14 squad. Last season, Berry helped Kansas City have a nine game turnaround (11-5) with 66 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and again was selected to the Pro Bowl.

This season, Berry missed five games with a high ankle sprain, but came back in the past four games to give them a 3-1 record entering the stretch run of the postseason. But yesterday, a writer for the team’s website, B.J. Kissel expressed very sad news for Berry and the Chiefs.

Berry was subsequently placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list, ending his season. ESPN Chiefs Reporter Adam Teicher has details on what the immediate future for Berry looks like, and the process of how the team found out about the potential risk of cancer:

Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry has what team officials believe is lymphoma — a form of cancer — and has been placed on the season-ending non-football illness list. Berry will undergo further testing at Emory University hospital in Atlanta to complete the diagnosis.

“At this point in time, we don’t have a definitive diagnosis,” Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “But the leading consideration for what he has right now is lymphoma.

“We first were alerted to something on Thursday night. It’s now Monday. We still don’t have a definitive answer. That’s OK. We’ll get to the experts and we’ll get the answer. We’ll get a treatment program and we’ll go from there.”

Burkholder said Berry complained of chest discomfort at the end of Thursday night’s road loss to the Oakland Raiders. He was examined then by team physicians and returned to Kansas City with the team.

Berry was still experiencing discomfort on Friday, when he reported to the Chiefs’ practice facility for regular day-after-game treatment.

“It just didn’t quite add up to an orthopedic injury,” Burkholder said.

Berry was given an X-ray, which was negative. Subsequent testing, including an MRI, revealed the mass in his chest.

Burkholder indicated that Berry, as well as his teammates, had a physical examination in June that includes a chest X-ray and blood work.

“Everything checked out then,” Burkholder said. “I’ve obviously been with him a lot this season, and he didn’t complain about anything until the [Oakland] ballgame.”

Despite the awful news, Berry has taken it all in stride, and showed gratitude, optimism, and pride in his statement:

“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!”

Everyone, from teammates, current and former NFL players, and even rival squads have sent their best wishes to Berry, who may only be 25, but has already earned great respect and admiration in his locker room and throughout the league. Whatever his diagnosis may be, all of us hope Berry comes back the way he has from his ACL and ankle injuries, and continues his tremendous career.

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