The Hall of Fame quarterback revealed last month that he had been treated for two forms of cancer.
Terry Bradshaw is opening up about the reason why he chose to keep his cancer diagnosis private for so long. Simply put, he dreaded the pity.
The NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer made the revelation in an interview Wednesday on The TODAY Show, telling NBC News correspondent Harry Smith he loathed the idea of a pity party from fans if he revealed his bladder and skin cancer diagnosis.
"I didn't talk about it because I didn't want pity," he said. "I didn't talk about it because a lot of celebrities -- unfortunately, I’m one of those -- when they say this, I think the perception around America with all the millions of people is, 'Aw, look at him. Bless his heart. He has cancer. Well, my husband died of cancer! My kids are...' I didn’t want that."
Bradshaw first made the cancer revelation during an Oct. 2 segment on his Fox NFL Sunday show, this after fans noticed something was amiss during the show a week prior, in which the four-time Super Bowl champion ran out of breath and needed assistance.
"Last week on this show, I ran out of breath, and Howie [Long] helped me up. And a lot of people are asking what’s wrong with me, what’s happened to me physically. I just want to address it and let you know what has happened in my life," Bradshaw said at the top of the broadcast.
"In November, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I went to the Yale University Medical Center -- surgery, treatment. As of today, I am bladder-cancer free. That’s the good news," he shared.
The good news was short-lived. In March, Bradshaw was then diagnosed with skin cancer.
"Then in March, feeling good. I had a bad neck. I get an MRI. Now we find a tumor in my left neck. And it’s a Merkel cell tumor, which is a rare form of skin cancer. So I had that surgery done at M.D. Anderson in Houston."
"Folks, I may not look like my old self, but I feel like my old self," he continued. "I’m cancer free, I’m feeling great. And over time, I’m going to be back to where I normally am."
As for why he waited nearly a year to go public with his cancer diagnosis, Bradshaw told TODAY it took him "a long time" before he told his family, let alone the rest of the world. He only went public with his diagnosis given what happened the day fans saw him run out of breath on the show.
"I couldn’t breathe," he recalled. "That’s when everybody notices. 'What’s wrong with him?’'Social media went, 'Get rid of him. He needs to be off the air. He’s an embarrassment.' And I was like, 'Embarrassment? I got cancer.'"
The Pittsburgh Steelers legend also said he was never scared about having cancer.
"I don't think cancer cares," he said. "Cancer shows no favoritism."
He was at peace whatever the outcome.
"Well, if I go, I'm OK. If I stay, I'm OK," he said.
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