Ron Lancaster Fighting for His Life

After facing and conquering his biggest challenge five years ago, CFL legend Ron Lancaster is once again in the battle of his life.  It was announced earlier this week that the Hall of Fame quarterback has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

While the news may be devastating to most, the little general remains optimistic. In a statement made earlier he said, "The goal is to get this taken care of and move forward just like I did five years ago. We will approach this the same way, and I thank you all in advance for your kindness as I am on my path to recovery." 

This news is a terrible blow to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, both on and off the field.  GM Bob O'Billovich shared his views on this tough situation. "When you think of guys like Ron, you really think of the CFL. He's synonymous with the Canadian Football League and vice versa. So this is not good news, and I'm just hoping he'll be able to overcome it again.

"This is a sad thing to hear right now, but I know Ron has always been a really upbeat guy, and he's always dealt with situations in a positive way."

The news of Lancaster's illness has shaken the entire CFL.  Ron Lancaster has dedicated his life to the Canadian Football League as a player, a coach, a GM, and now as senior adviser to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 

The one thing Lancaster has on his side which has stayed with him throughout his life is his refuse-to-lose attitude.

Whether it was putting up record breaking numbers as a quarterback (throwing for a career 50,535 yards and 333 touchdowns) en route to a Grey Cup in '66, or an impressive 142 regular season games as a head coach (winning two Grey Cups), Ron Lancaster is a proven winner.

He will need that same winning attitude to fight through this cancer once again.  A class act and one of the greatest individuals the CFL has ever seen, every CFL fan will be praying for a speedy and healthy recovery for Ron Lancaster.