‘I certainly believe in myself’: Tight end Foster Moreau opens up about cancer diagnosis

There’s a chance tight end Foster Moreau could play football this season.

But his career in the NFL is no longer a top priority. That honor now belongs to beating cancer.

Moreau, a Jesuit High School grad and former LSU star, announced he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma last Wednesday. He learned of the possibility in a weekend physical with the New Orleans Saints. Dr. John Amoss, one of the team physicians, discovered a lump and initially told him there was a 95% chance it was cancerous. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis within a few days.

“I tend to play the percentages,” Moreau said. “I’ve beaten a lot of odds in my life, Adam, and if I could have beat those odds, I would have loved to. But I’ve also kicked a lot off a** and if I couldn’t beat the odds, then I’d just have to deal with it.

“It was hard, and it was scary. Every day passes and it seems to ease up on my mind a little bit. By the time that first chemotherapy session starts, it’ll be like Sunday morning waking up and getting ready to kick somebody’s a**.”

On Friday, Moreau will find out which stage he’s in with the cancer.

Moreau, who played for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2019-22, shared details of his diagnosis on Tuesday’s episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast” with the Senior ESPN NFL Insider himself.

Turns out, the Saints’ physical was actually Moreau’s second within 24 hours. He had one at the Cincinnati Bengals’ facility the day before. Nothing was detected. In fact, the doctor called Moreau as “healthy as an ox.”

“It’s absolutely no shame to him,” Moreau said. “The way they treated the physical was it’s more of a football medical physical. That’s what a lot of teams do, right? I did that with the Raiders for years.”

When Moreau got the Saints the next day, Amoss was more hands on. Amoss felt a golf-ball sized lump — an enlarged lymph node — near the left side of his collarbone. Amoss, Moreau said, was shocked how swollen the area was.

That’s when they did a CAT scan.

Moreau was watching March Madness games when Amoss returned and said they needed to tell Saints general manager Mickey Loomis the visit needed to be postponed.

“At that point, I’m like, ‘Oh, no, this is terrible’” Moreau said. “He sits me down and starts educating me about Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”

The on-site biopsy was then performed.

Since his diagnosis become public, Moreau has done some research of his own, learning of other NFL players who have overcome the disease. He learned about defensive back Eric Berry and running back James Conner, who both returned to the sport within seven-to-eight months. He talked to a friend from high school who had it, too.

Moreau has also been overwhelmed by the amount of support he has received — in a good way. His former LSU coach, Ed Orgeron, gave him a call. NBA player Damian Lillard tweeted at him. They were standouts among so many others. 

“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” Moreau said. “But in terms of people who I know could beat it, I certainly believe in myself.”