The NFL and American Cancer society have teamed up to fight cancer dating back to 2009, and #CrucialCatch is meant to help more people catch cancer early, promoting prevention and early detection of cancer.
The initiative has raised more than $24 million dollars and impacted countless individuals.
The mission of #CrucialCatch is one that hits very close to home for Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing.
Wearing a shirt that read "I PLAY FOR GORDON DOWNING" at his presser today, Todd shared that he lost his father, who was a lifetime smoker, back in 2004 to lung and bone cancer.
After dealing with some back pain and respiratory issues for a while, Gordon didn't see a doctor about the symptoms, and avoiding the doctor's office is a problem many people in coaching share.
"Like a lot of people from that generation, he didn't like going to the doctor, or going to check-ups, and didn't like asking for help. Unfortunately, by the time things had gotten so bad, the he had the lung cancer that spread into the bones of his back and was past the point of return."
"So honoring my dad with this shirt is also a way to explain to people that, 'Hey, it's worth going to get that check up.' And it's worth going to the doctor and it's worth letting someone know that you have a minor health issue that you just can't get over, because you never know what it might end up being."
"In my dad's case, as a lifelong smoker, he probably had a pretty decent idea of what it was. Sometimes, people just don't want to look truth in the mirror."
"I want to honor him by saying that maybe there is someone else out there that can avoid the same fate he wound up with, simply by getting a check-up."
Hear more from Downing in the clip.
#Titans OC Todd Downing is paying tribute to his late father during #CrucialCatch: Intercept Cancer week. Gordon Downing died due to lung and bone cancer. Downing gave some great advice to others about the importance of early detection. pic.twitter.com/ZJVNOiHK9T
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 20, 2022