Free agent tight end Foster Moreau announced last month that he was stepping away from the NFL following a cancer diagnosis. As he noted in a social media post revealing the news, the discovery and later diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma came during a free-agent visit with the New Orleans Saints. It was there where team physician, Dr. John Amoss, saw a lump on the 25-year-old's neck.
"He sat me down and he goes, 'You've heard of Hodgkin's lymphoma, right?' And I say, 'Yeah.' And he goes, 'OK, well, from the tests that we see, that could be a strong possibility,'" Moreau recently told "Good Morning America."
Moreau said he was aware of the lump on his neck, but "didn't think it was anything" and chalked it up to him possibly coming down with a cold. Once it was confirmed to be Hodgkin's lymphoma, Moreau admitted that he cried in his mother's arms and said she has been a vital figure throughout his fight.
"You know, it's hard. It's hard. And at a time where none of us could do anything other than be with loved ones and pray, she was instrumental," Moreau said of his mother.
Thus far, doctors have given Moreau positive updates. He noted that it is stage 2, meaning it has spread from its initial location. However, it appears to be a slower spread and Moreau said that "we should be able to get rid of all of it."
As he continues his journey, Moreau is now using his platform to urge people to go see their doctor.
"I'd say to anyone who doesn't want to get a checkup, afraid to see your doctor, afraid to take whatever test you've gotta take, it's not gonna change the outcome, right? It's better to know," Moreau said.
"This happens to everyone all the time in every walk of life every day. So for me to have the gall to think that I could get up here and be inspirational, I don't think that I could do that," Moreau said. "I think that there's children in the children's hospital that are far more inspirational. Truthfully, I've had some smart people in my corner who've told me, 'Look, regardless, you're gonna get up and you're gonna inspire millions. And that's just a part of what God's put on your shoulders.'"
From here, Moreau said that he is going to attack cancer head-on similarly to how he prepares for a game in the NFL.
"There's no other way to look at it, right? So I'm preparing for my opponent, right? Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy, I'm preparing for being on an IV, for six, seven, eight hours. Whatever it takes, right? Because I mean, there's no other option. There's no option," Moreau said.
"You only have a finite amount of time on this Earth," he added. "For me, I'm gonna make it count. And right now, making it count is whuppin' up on cancer's butt."
Moreau entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick of the Raiders in 2019 out of LSU. Last season, he was coming off a career year, notching highs in receptions (33) and receiving yards (420).
