As a native of Detroit Lakes, it's no surprise that Adam Thielen grew up supporting Minnesota Vikings receiver Randy Moss.
Some things never change.
Thielen is among a growing list of athletes who are showing their support for Moss, who recently revealed he was diagnosed with cancer. The Carolina Panthers receiver showed up to his game on Sunday against Dallas wearing a No. 84 Moss Vikings jersey while he acknowledged fans outside Bank of America Stadium.
Moss appeared on Instagram Live Friday and revealed that he was a cancer survivor after a mass was found in his bile duct. He went on to say he had surgery to put a stent in his liver and then had a six-hour procedure to remove the cancer. Moss added that he has a long road ahead of him, which will include chemotherapy, but said he hopes to be back on ESPN as an analyst for "Sunday NFL Countdown."
"All of the prayers, the well wishes, I really felt that, my family felt that," said Moss on Friday. "We are definitely grateful for all the prayer warriors."
Moss said he had a Whipple procedure, which is an operation to treat tumors and other conditions in the pancreas, small intestine and bile ducts. According to Mayo Clinic, the procedure involved removing the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gall bladder and the bile duct.
"The Whipple procedure is a complex operation," the Mayo Clinic's website reads. "It can have serious risks. However, this surgery often saves lives."
Thielen, who played nine seasons with the Vikings, grew up watching Moss as the Hall of Fame receiver helped inspire an entire generation of pass-catchers.
