Undoubtedly, one of the surprise stories of the NFL this year has been the Detroit Lions, who are 7-4, and tied for first place in the NFC Central Division.
But watching them this season, there is still one person who is conspicuous by his absence. And it is not Barry Sanders.
Although Chris Spielman has not roamed the middle as a linebacker for the Lions since 1996, he was the heart and soul of the team, and a fan favorite.
During a pre-season game this year, he suffered a career-ending injury. He retired to avoid risking further serious and permanent damage. It was not easy for Spielman to be forced out of the game he loved, but the fact is, only a year earlier he voluntarily stopped playing. And it was not a tough decision to make.
After Spielman’s wife, Stephanie, had a miscarriage she asked the doctor to examine a lump on her breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and two weeks after she had a mastectomy, Chris quit football to take care of Stephanie and their two sons, Madison and Noah.
“It was an easy decision to make,” Spielman said in a Dateline interview. “She’s sacrificed everything for me, and this was the least I could do.”
During the 1997 season, Spielman suffered a neck injury that threatened to paralyze him. The ’98 season was supposed to be a comeback year for him.
Instead, Spielman devoted himself as any good husband would. “Captain Crunch,” as Spielman is known, put together for Stephanie a healthy diet that included 36 daily vitamins to help build up her immune system.
Stephanie had lost her hair and become weak and nauseated due to six months of intensive chemotherapy. But her condition gradually improved and she has been cancer free since.
Spielman looked to make a triumphant return this season. But now that his playing career is over, he seems to have no regrets about what could have been his last season.
“I did what I did out of love,” he said. “I’ve always considered myself a husband and father first, and here was a chance to say, ‘What I say is what I am.’
“This was my family and I thank God every day that I had the financial means to be able to take a year off work.”
It is unfortunate that most people would not have had the financial security to do what Spielman did. But the high school jock who fell in love with a cheerleader showed he is a real man.
“[Our story is] a love story about two kids who grew up together,” said Stephanie. “It’s about love.”
Spielman has always been a favorite player of mine and his actions only increased my admiration. He is someone I will tell my kids about, and he is the type of person I only hope I can be.
Brice Nixon, a sophomore journalism major, is sports editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at nixonb@ulv.edu.
