Marcus Cannon: Cancer Survivor's Heartwarming Story for New England Patriots

Sports can give us those feel-good moments when we see a heartwarming story unfold right before our eyes. Last night we got one of those moments when New England Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon played in his first game after surviving non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  

He saw action in the Patriots' final scoring drive of their 34-3 Monday Night Football blowout victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. In that final drive, Cannon was a big part in the Patriots going 14 plays for 62 yards that ended with a rushing touchdown from fellow rookie Shane Vereen.  

Cannon’s tale is one of perseverance, as he was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots out of Texas Christian University. His appearance in last night’s game came as a shock to a lot of his teammates. They knew the rookie was making great strides in his recovery from non-Hodgkin’s but they never knew how quickly he was going to see action. 

"Seeing him in there was a little bit of a surprise, but when you dress for a game, you've got to be ready to go," right guard Brian Waters said. "So I think he did a pretty good job."

As amazing of a story as Cannon’s is, he doesn’t want it to overshadow his playing career. "Of course, my story will always be there, and I thank God every day," Cannon said. "I am blessed, and there is no way of putting it behind you. I am just looking forward to playing football."

His story is a lot like Hockey Hall of Fame member and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux. Lemieux was diagnosed with the same form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the 1992-93 season. Lemieux beat cancer and came back to play at a high level. 

Cannon’s story is an inspiration to us all. It shows that no matter what happens, you can persevere through the obstacle and come out even better. Cannon took the diagnosis and did not let it consume him. 

Instead he did what the one thing he knew best. He stuck his head down took a big charge at the form of lymphoma and pancaked it. 

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