We all know Eric Berry the football player. The perennial Pro Bowl safety for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not just any safety though, the best safety in the NFL. Berry today, signed a 6-year/$78M contract to remain a member of the Chiefs. Making him the highest paid Saftey in NFL history.
So many of the players get huge contracts and become the “highest paid whatever” in NFL history. And let’s be honest with ourselves, no matter how much you love the team or the player, no matter how dominant the player is, when we see and hear those gargantuan dollar amounts a little part of us whispers ” This motherfucker is getting how much money to play fucking football?!” Eric Berry by all accounts is the nicest, most humble guy on earth, people don’t go out of their way to say it for no reason. Not too many other top players get that type of distinction for their character. Being nice isn’t why Berry is the most deserving, not by a long shot, in fact, it isn’t and shouldn’t even be in consideration, but it’s worth noting in the grand scheme of the man outside of football.
In late 2014 Eric Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Fucking Cancer. #FUCKCancer. A top athlete in his most peak physical form, dealt a hand like that. It was devastating, none of it made sense. Berry endured. Support pouring in from every direction. Giving the fans periodic updates as he battled through his treatments. Then the news broke, after months of constant treatments, Berry’s cancer was in remission and he was medically cleared to resume football activities. Just over 8 Months after being diagnosed with Cancer, Eric Berry was back in full pads at training camp with the Chiefs. Yes, you read that right, 8 fucking months after being DIAGNOSED. Not 8 months after being cured, no no, he got cancer, beat the shit out of it and became the best safety in the NFL all over again, ALL within a span of 8 months!
I remember when people were impressed AP came back from an ACL after 9 months. All of a sudden it doesn’t even sound impressive, talk about your all-time 1-ups. The dude literally didn’t even miss games, for cancer……Lebron literally missed a game yesterday for a “sore throat” HAHAHA literally, that was it. I’m not even joking to make my point seem more impactful. He had a sore throat. Shut it down. Lebron’s a “football player though guys, he’ll be ok.”
So yea Eric Berry deserves this contract probably more than anyone. Has there ever been anyone that’s overcome more in that span of time? That’s worse than an injury or surgery. Not to mention, he’s come back just as good if not better than before.
Perennial Pro Bowler…Check
Best Safety in the NFL…Check
Nicest guy ever…Check
Beat the deadliest disease known to mankind and returned to football even better than before all in 8 months…CHECK MOTHER FUCKING MATE
P.S. If the Hall of Fame committee has the balls to keep Terrell Owens, who should have been an absolute LOCK first ballot Hall of Famer, out of the Hall of Fame for non-football reasons, then conversely Eric Berry should be inducted into the Hall like, yesterday. I know it’s 2017 and virtually all of our social societal norms are built on double standards, but I draw the line on this one.
