Mom of Cincinnati Bengals Player Hid Cancer Diagnosis So Son Could Achieve His NFL Dream

Cincinnati Bengals Jeff Gunter Jennifer Gunter Mom Hid Cancer Diagnosis nfl

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Sep 29, 11:45 am

Photo: (Photo : Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Most mothers gush about their children, and Jennifer Gunter is no different.

The mother of Bengals rookie defensive end Jeff Gunter said her son was the best kid. Jennifer noted that Jeff graduated high school with a 4.5 GPA, and from the time he was five years old, her son knew he wanted to go to the NFL.

Jeff returned the compliments, saying he did not think he would be here without his mom. He added that she pushed him when he did not believe he could do it himself, and she always fought to keep on grinding.

Mom hid cancer diagnosis from her son

Jeff was not a big kid at all, but he always had a big dream of making it to the NFL. Jennifer did whatever she could to help her son get there, including keeping the fact away from him that she had cancer.

Jennifer was diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma in February of this year. According to Jennifer, she had three blood clots in her lungs, and they found a mass that went from the top of her sternum to the bottom of her diaphragm.

She went through 17 radiation treatments and six rounds of chemotherapy, and never in that time did she tell her son that she was sick. Jeff was away at Coastal Carolina playing football and preparing for the NFL draft for some of that time. Jeff then moved out to start training after being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round.

NFL dream realized for Jeff as he makes the Bengals team

Jennifer knew her son would stop what he was doing and would come home if she told him about her cancer battle. She told WCPO that she did not want Jeff to lose his focus as he was close and right there.

Jeff admitted that his mom was right, as he would have given up his dream of playing in the NFL to be with his mother during that difficult time. He said he would have gone home if she had told him about the cancer diagnosis.

Jeff knew something was amiss and finally confronted his mother while in training camp. Jennifer could no longer keep the truth from her son and told him about the cancer. There was good news at that point, though, as she was already through her treatment and would be there for Jeff's first preseason game in an NFL jersey.

Jeff said it was a gift to have his mom there cheering for him and witnessing his dream of playing in the NFL come true. Jeff added that this was his mom's dream just as much as it was his, and he was glad to share it with her. The pair had more good news as Jeff made the team realize their dream.