Kansas City Chiefs' Eric Berry cleared to practice eight months after cancer diagnosis
Wednesday 29 July 2015 14:01, UK
Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is set for a dramatic return to the practice field - eight months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Berry was diagnosed with lymphoma in December of 2014 following Week 12 of the regular season after a mass was found in his chest. He began treatments immediately and wrapped up his final treatment this June.
The 26-year-old will join Chiefs quarterbacks, rookies and players with recent injuries on Wednesday for the start of a three-day minicamp at Missouri Western State University. The Chiefs begin full-squad training camp Saturday.
Berry was a highly-rated prospect coming out of college with Tennessee and was picked fifth overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The safety was on his way to becoming one of the NFL’s best at the position prior to his diagnosis and has racked up 323 tackles, 5.5 sacks and eight interceptions in his 60 games with the Chiefs.
Berry has made three Pro Bowls during his short career and was named first-team All-Pro in 2013.
The news of Berry’s return will come as a big boost to a defence that will be without cornerback Sean Smith for the first three games after he was suspended for pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge.
The Chiefs also revealed Pro Bowl-defensive tackle Dontari Poe will be out for the entirety of training camp after undergoing successful microdiscectomy surgery on his back on July 15.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said there is still a possibility of Poe returning early in the season.
"I think he stands a reasonable chance [to play] in the early part of the season there, whether it's the beginning or somewhere early in the season for his return,” Reid said.
“You just have to see and see how he recovers there, but it's a positive thing and it's something that he needed to get done as opposed to having that other deal antagonizing throughout the season."
