As he battles against cancer, Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner has looked to Eric Berry for inspiration. Berry, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in late 2014, famously fought through chemotherapy treatments and returned to the NFL in perfect form in 2015, winning the league's Comeback Player of the Year award.
Since his own diagnosis, Conner has spoken to the Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl safety on the phone. But he had never met Berry in person until Ellen DeGeneres arranged the meeting on her daytime talk show.
DeGeneres brought on Conner to talk about his own battle. Then, as the interview progresses, she tells Conner that she has a surprise visitor to see him.
In comes Berry, who greets Conner warmly -- the two embrace for a hug.
Berry also shared the best advice he could give Conner -- as well as advice applicable to anyone trying to beat cancer.
"Just never limit yourself, you know what I'm saying?" Berry says. "Anything you're going through, you're really battling yourself.
"It's never about the chemo, it's never about the cancer, it's all about what you're willing to put in to overcome whatever the obstacle is."
