NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss announced on Friday that he has been diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatment.
An emotional Moss surrounded by family and “Team Moss” gear released a video announcement to detail the journey he is undergoing, quickly informing those watching the video that he was a “cancer survivor.”
Moss said that doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his bile duct between his pancreas and liver, and he underwent surgery on Thanksgiving to put a stent in his liver.
This surgery was followed by a six-hour Whipple procedure to remove the cancer. Moss was hospitalized for six days.
Moss previously announced that he was dealing with something “internal” but opted against providing any details on the situation, waiting until December 13 to officially release his diagnosis to the world.
“I just wanted to let the viewers know that me and my wife and my family are battling something internally. I have some great doctors around me. I couldn’t miss the show. I wanted to be here with you guys,” said Moss last week, per Fox News.
Moss explained in the video that he did not imagine that he would “ever be in a position like this” due to how healthy he has been in recent years, stating that he has undergone radiation and chemotherapy.
“All the prayers, the well wishes, I really felt that, my family felt that,” he added.
Although Moss has stepped down from his roles on television due to his recent diagnosis, he said that he plans on returning to his previous position once he is back to full health.
“As soon as I get healthy to get back out with guys, I will be on set … Hopefully I can be with you guys soon,” he said.
“My goal is to get back on television with my team.”
Moss also asked those invested in his recovery to provide donations on his website and stated that the majority of the funds would be used for cancer research.
The legendary wide receiver spent 14 seasons in the NFL with five different teams, collecting an incredible 15,292 receiving yards and the second-most receiving touchdowns of all time, with 156.
These accomplishments resulted in Moss being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2018.