Bears tight end Greg Olsen was a junior in high school when his mother Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now 8 years later he still remembers the lesson that fight taught him.
"It keeps everything in perspective" the third year pro said Wednesday. "We all think death is distant ... everything isn't going to go your way."
But it was the fight his mother put up that resonates now when times get tough on the gridiron. "Just keep going and if you continue to work and push through you'll come out on the other side alright."
Olsen has always been a supporter of the fight against Breast Cancer in his short time in the NFL.
But now the league he plays for is putting their support public. Olsen and teammates' home uniforms will be accented in pink. Wristbands, towels, helmet decals, coaches hats, and even pink cleats.
"I know it means a lot to Greg, so he asked me a couple months ago if I'd rock the pink cleats," Jay Cutler said.
Defensive captain Lance Briggs, Devin Hester, Garrett Wolfe, Nick Roach, Zack Bowman and Jason McKie will each wear pink gloves.
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Players aren't the only ones affected.
Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub's wife Cheryl was diagnosed almost 2 years ago with the disease. Toub says she "fought it on her own" because he was away being a Bears coach.
"It's important to Cheryl... anything I can do," he said.
While the men on the gridiron often get all the attention, issues like Breast Cancer hit home and it's an opportunity to show their public support to the women fighters in their lives.
"Real Bears fans wear pink" t-shirts will be available for purchase at Soldier Field, at the Ultimate Tailgate inside gates 1 and 3. With monies raised going towards charities that assist, support, and care for breast cancer patients and their families.
