Twenty-five-year-old former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau announced on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and will leave the NFL as a result.
Moreau was a free agent after spending four seasons with the Raiders. The cancer was discovered during a physical Moreau had with the New Orleans Saints.
"Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this free agency period has been life changing for me," Moreau wrote. "During a routine physical conducted by the Saints' medical team down in New Orleans, I've come to learn that I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and will be stepping away from football ... at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer."
"I'm grateful for the support and thankful for people who have stood firm with me. There hasn't been a single step I've taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me, and I will continue to seek their guidance."
Hodgkin lymphoma is an auto-immune disease that attacks the body's immune cells. The five-year survival rate is now 89%.
Dr. John Amoss, the Saints' longtime team physician, contributed to the diagnosis.