Not long ago, Kevin Curtis was a high-end NFL receiver. A free-agency tug-o-war between the Vikings and the Eagles resulted in Curtis choosing Philadelphia after four seasons with the Rams.
In his first year as an Eagle, Curtis soared to 77 catches for 1,110 yards and six scores. Injuries derailed him in 2008 and 2009, and the Eagles cut him in March.
According to Doug Robinson of the Deseret News (via Sheil Kapadia of philly.com), Curtis had surgery on September 23 to remove a cancerous testicle. But he says that the prognosis is positive.
“Everything looks good,” Curtis said. “They caught it early, and there is no sign that it has spread. I’m pretty fortunate, really.”
As it turns out, the slow-growing mass was first spotted during a routine physical when he visited the Vikings in 2007. “The doctor brought it to my attention,” Curtis said. “I hadn’t noticed
it. I waited a year till I went to a urologist. He wasn’t too concerned.
Every six months I underwent an exam and ultrasound. They were saying
it’s nothing until this summer. The ultrasound revealed there was a big
difference. It had grown.”
Curtis has opted to forgo radiation treatments, choosing instead quarterly monitoring, since he wants to return to the NFL this year. He plans to return to “intense training” in a couple weeks, and his agent will be sending a letter to all teams regarding his situation.
We wish Kevin well. The fact that he’d pass on radiation shows that he still loves football, and if he can still play like he did three years ago, someone will be getting a steal.
