Eric Berry, Safety for the National Football League's (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs, has what team officials believe to be a type of cancer called lymphoma.

Berry has been placed on the non-football illness list and has will not continue playing the current season. He will also be undergoing further testing at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta to complete the diagnosis.

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Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said during a news conference last Monday that while they did not have a definite diagnosis yet, the leading consideration on his status is lymphoma.

"We first were alerted to something on Thursday night. It's now Monday. We still don't have a definitive answer," Burkholder said. "That's OK. We'll get to the experts and we'll get the answer..."

The problems started when Berry was complaining about chest discomfort after the team had lost to the Oakland Raiders. After being examined by a team of physicians, he returned to Kansas City with the team.

By Friday, Berry reported for regular day-after-game treatment at the Chiefs' practice facility. He was still feeling the discomfort by then.

From x-rays, physical examinations, and blood work, everything checked out fine for Berry. However, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan revealed the mass on his chest.

Before leaving for Atlanta, Berry addressed his teammates through a statement released through the Chiefs. He thanked his family, friends, and Chiefs companions for the support they gave him.

"At first I was in shock with the diagnosis on Saturday and did not even want to miss a game," Berry said in his statement. "But I understand that right now I have to concentrate on a new opponent."

Eric Berry also expressed his confidence in the doctors and the plan they have put in place to win his new fight. Despite the unfortunate occurrences, he feels at peace in God's hands.

TagsLymphoma, Cancer, Eric Berry, Kansas City /chiefs, Football, NFL