Sept. 18--The Kansas City Chiefs didn't win Thursday night, but it was still a victory for safety Eric Berry.
Berry, 26, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in November. In June, he was declared cancer-free and made his first regular-season start since Week 12 of last season against the Denver Broncos.
It was an event celebrated by fans at Arrowhead Stadium -- home of the world record for loudest stadium (142.2 decibels) -- with a thunderous standing ovation during player introductions.
Berry had four tackles in the Chiefs' 31-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.
During the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals, Berry said he'd come a long way. "It just all hit me," he told the Kansas City Star at the time. "I don't think anybody could really understand the road I took, the sacrifices I had to make, the feelings I had going through those times."
Berry, a first-round pick in 2010, has eight career interceptions with three returned for touchdowns and 5.5 sacks. He was named an All-Pro in 2013 and has been selected for three Pro Bowls.
"I've been running into a lot of people, people who don't even know about football, telling me their [relatives] just got diagnosed with cancer," Berry said. "They just tell me they have hope because they see me out on the field, so that means a lot to me.
"It just does so much for them, so I've got to go hard. I've got to give everything I've got just so other people have hope."
