Eric Berry makes first regular-season start since cancer diagnosis

The Chiefs defense was introduced before kickoff of Thursday night’s game against Denver, and all 11 starters provided a different interpretation of the announcement.

Some preened and others danced. Eric Berry provided a bit of everything and threw in a backward shuffle for good measure.

The final first may have been the sweetest for Berry, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in November.

He was cleared for practice in July. The Arizona Cardinals welcomed Berry back to action with a scoreboard message in the preseason opener. So did the Chiefs a week later before their first home preseason game.

Berry didn’t start Sunday in the regular-season opener at Houston but played 48 of 77 defensive snaps.

Thursday would be his final first — first regular-season start and first regular-season home game since the diagnosis — and it was triumphant.

Berry was the final player introduced, after Justin Houston. The smoke blew, the crowd roared. Berry raised his arms, bounced, turned around and soaked in the adulation.

It wasn’t his first emotional moment of the day.

In a story first reported by USA Today, Berry received a surprise visit from staff members of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, where he underwent months of chemotherapy treatments.

The contingent included Berry’s primary nurse, Stephanie Jones, who presented him with a poster signed by the staff.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Eric Berry makes first regular-season start since cancer diagnosis."