Inside Terry Bradshaw's health issues as NFL legend opens up on cancer battle and depression

May 2024 · 4 minute read

TERRY BRADSHAW has become one of America's favorite media personalities after his legendary NFL career.

The former quarterback is a household name for what he's achieved both on and off the football field.

And he's done it despite a string of health concerns.

Just this weekend, Bradshaw revealed he has battled cancer twice in the last year.

Speaking on Fox's NFL pregame show, he said: "Last week on this show, I ran out of breath, and Howie (Long) helped me up.

"A lot of people are asking what's wrong with me, what's happened to me physically.

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"I just want to address it and let you know what has happened in my life. 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.

"Then in March, feeling good. I had a bad neck. I get an MRI. Now, we find a tumor in my left neck.

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"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."

And Bradshaw added: "Folks, I may not look like my old self, but I feel like my old self.

"I'm cancer free, I'm feeling great. And over time, I'm going to be back to where I normally am."

The former quarterback also recently opened up to Mens Journal about some of his battles.

The Fox Sports favorite was diagnosed with depression in 1999.

He said: "Twenty-seven years ago I was diagnosed as clinically depressed, and told the world on TV.

"But that journey didn’t happen overnight. It took months of counseling.

"I went from a preacher to a psychologist to a psychiatrist. I sought help because I was so unhappy and I couldn’t understand why.

"It didn’t make sense. Great moments in my life were followed by horrible, horrible ones."

Bradshaw suffered anxiety attacks, intense anger, alcohol abuse and sleeplessness before doctors diagnosed his mental health condition.

He said: "People tend to say, 'It’s so courageous to reveal you’ve got depression', but it’s not an act of valor.

"I’m not overcoming any shame to talk about it. I’m proud of it. To think that coming out with [depression] is a sign of weakness is wrong.

"It has to be represented as an illness, period. I want nothing from it, other than to help people."

Bradshaw has also opened up in the past on dealing with attention deficit disorder.

The 74-year-old also only has one lung, something which he mentioned on the NFL show last weekend.

Fans worried for the former Steelers quarterback's health after his appearance on September 25.

One tweeted: "Terry Bradshaw just made a whole lot of noises, but I'm not sure any of them were actual words."

Another said: "I can love Terry Bradshaw, but I can love Terry Bradshaw and still say it is time for him to turn game highlight narration over to someone else.

"It's painful and kinda breaks my heart. Reminds me of Pat Summerall at the end."

While yet another commented: "Terry Bradshaw is having major problems in the post-game show. It may be time for him to retire from broadcasting. Had to turn it off he was messing up so much."

A fourth added: "Terry Bradshaw calling highlights needed to end like 8 years ago but it’s still happening and it’s absolutely horrific."

Last year Bradshaw questioned how long he would be able to keep up with the rigors of TV, now well into his 70s.

Bradshaw told Men's Journal: "I’m 73. There’s a part of me that says, 'How long can you do television?'

"There’s a bit of insecurity there. But I’m not through, I can tell you that. I live to entertain.

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"Billy Graham said the minute you retire is the minute you start dying. But if I’ve got to go, I want to go on stage.

"What if I die on the Fox pregame show? I’d get the big numbers, right?"

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