Last summer, the NFL lockout was the least of Jeremy Maclin’s concerns. Up until August 2011, the receiver wasn’t concerned about fighting for his rights as an NFL player; he was worried about fighting for his life. Maclin spoke on his lymphoma scare after practice this past Wednesday.
“Just uncertainty about what my future held,” he said. “It was kind of stressful. I just tried to kind of block all that out and continue to work out and luckily for me, everything worked out well.”
After the conclusion of a superb sophomore season, the Missouri native began to feel ill in February of 2011. Although he was plagued with symptoms like appetite loss and fevers, Maclin continued to work out, joining some of his teammates in New Jersey for informal activities in June.
“Nobody knew,” Maclin said. “I think anybody would be scared. It’s a life-changer.”
It wasn’t until the middle of August that doctors determined the wide receiver did not have lymphoma or any other form of cancer. With a huge burden lifted off of his shoulders, Maclin got himself back into football shape. Although he managed to catch 63 passes for 859 yards in 13 games last season, the third-year pro was just happy to be back on the field.
“Being back out here with my team, just not having to worry about that anymore, you can’t ask to be in a better situation,” Maclin said. “I’m just happy to be out here, man.”
Maclin’s cancer scare was another reminder that nothing in this world is guaranteed. With the odds of getting cancer 20 times greater than the odds of making it to the NFL, even athletes in excellent shape aren’t exempt from this life-changing disease. With that being said, the Eagles are glad to have a healthy Maclin for the upcoming season.
“I can’t take anything for granted,” Maclin said. “It’s truly is a blessing. That’s the one word that describes it all: a blessing.”
