Hall of Fame defensive backs Ronnie Lott and Mike Haynes are both touring the country promoting awareness for men that could be at risk for prostate cancer. Teaming up with Know Your Stats, both former players are working on getting men to get checked with their doctors at an early age.
Lott spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the 49ers, winning four Super Bowls with the team. Haynes, a cancer survivor, spent his career with the Patriots and Raiders, helping the Raiders win the Super Bowl in the 1983 season.
I spoke with both Lott and Haynes briefly on the phone on Tuesday to talk about the campaign as well as a couple questions about the 49ers.
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Samuel Lam: Mike, tell me about your campaign on prostate cancer. How did this all get started?
Mike Haynes: I got started two years ago at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NFL and the American Neurological Association were offering free screenings for retired players. I had no real reason to go down to the screening since I had a physical earlier in the year, but for business reasons I did it. And when I was there, these ladies whom now I call "angels" suggested that I take the blood test -- a simple blood test. So I thought I would because as they said that it might encourage somebody else to do it. That led to a discussion with the doctor on site about my PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen).
It was the first time I had ever heard about PSA and he was asking me for my baseline; because that number by itself means nothing. You need to know what your baseline is and other scores that you've had. I had to wait until I got home, call my primary care doctor, looked at my chart and realized based on what had been happening the last few years, that I indeed did have a spike and should go in for a biopsy. He sent me there, and the biopsy came back positive. And on the 12 places they checked on my prostate I had cancer in nine for them.
For me, my prostate cancer education got bigger in terms of getting the different treatment options. I elected to have my prostate removed through robotic surgery and now I'm a survivor. Now I'm doing my part to help educate other men about the importance of finding this disease out early. If they find out early, it makes all the difference in the world in regard to their outcome.
I've been really lucky to get guys like Ronnie [Lott] and other Hall of Famers, even current players, to help spread the word of the importance -- especially in the African-American community because African-Americans are more than twice as likely to get the disease.
SL: Ronnie, how did you get involved with Mike and what should fans, the ones in the 40-year old range, do to get checked and make sure that they have all the right information?
Ronnie Lott: I think it's simple. The reason I got involved is that, (number) one: you care. And two: you realize there are a lot of people that are afraid. And when you have people that are afraid, usually it's because they're not educated and don't understand. I think that we're trying to do that. I think Mike's story and what's he's done, the testimony of him surviving is a great way of being educated.
I've learned a lot and I think a lot of people need to know the story. I think the other thing is that we've got to be able to challenge men to go to the doctor. It's uncomfortable, a lot of men that I've know that passed away because they wouldn't go to the doctor and yet if they had gone, they would be alive today. So I'm encouraging people and encouraging young men.
Of course when you hit the magic age of 40, I think that's an area where when I was 40, I didn't have any clue and I didn't think about it. I thought you had to wait until you're 50. But now it's 40, and if it's 40, then you'd imagine it should start at 35. And if it should start at 35, then that tells you a lot about people and about how we need to educate and start getting people out there to the doctor -- especially men.
For whatever reason, we've talked to a lot of men today and all the men that we've spoke with, a lot of them have said, "You know, I'm afraid. And the reason why I'm afraid is that I haven't gone to the doctor. I'm not comfortable going to the doctor."
I think you can be comfortable. I think the notion that people today should not be afraid because Mike what has learned. Mike went through the whole process and he said, "I was able to go through this process; I survived it. I'm better for it."
Just people like Mike telling that story should encourage you to go see a doctor and get examined.
SL: What kind of information can fans find on KnowYourStats.org about prostate cancer?
MH: Probably any question you can think of that you might want to you know you, can probably find it on that website. You can also find out information about the KnowYourStats.org campaign that we have using Hall of Fame football players and what we're doing with the NFL and try to educate men about the disease. Also during the month of September, a lot of hospitals around the country have partnered with us to have events, have screenings to educate the people in their community about prostate health.
SL: Is it all right if I ask a couple football questions?
MH: Absolutely.
SL: Since I cover the 49ers, let me get this question out to Ronnie first. A lot of people have talked about the rookie Taylor Mays and how he's from USC and Ronnie you're from USC, and there are possibilities of comparison. What have you seen in Mays and have you seen anything in him that resembles what you had when you played.
RL: I look at Mays as (number) one: he has a lot more speed than I ever had. Two: he's a lot bigger and more physical than I ever was. I think when you think of the combination of speed and the combination of size, those two remind me more of a Tim McDonald.
He's a lot faster than Tim McDonald but he has the size that Tim McDonald had. I think this is a combination of a young man that can be a not only explosive, but all of the sudden you take him learning how to play man-on-man; which at SC, they played a lot of zone, they played a lot of bail techniques, they don't get up and bump and run.
He's physical, athletic, more engaged with the ability to do a lot of different things. So I think the downside of Taylor is that he doesn't know a lot of things. The upside he's got all the right attributes to be a great football player. I'm very excited for him and I'm looking forward to watching him become a Pro Bowler; watching him become one of the leaders or this defense.
SL: Earlier this month we had Jerry Rice go into the Hall of Fame. Mike, you faced the 49ers twice while you were playing for the Raiders while Jerry was playing for the 49ers. How was it to go up against Jerry Rice now recognized as the best wide receiver in the game?
MH: It’s a good question and I’ve been asked that question a lot. I’ve covered a lot of wide receivers and they’ve beat me, but by the time the ball gets there I’ve been able to recover. When you’re going against Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, you’re going up against the two best. When Joe left and Steve [Young] came in, it didn’t drop off. They were still the two best out there. And all three of those guys are in the Hall of Fame for good reasons. It was a day when I knew that I was covering Jerry Rice I needed pack my lunch because I knew it was going to be an all-day job. Even if you’re covering him, they’re going to throw it because they’re not used to seeing anybody covering Jerry Rice. I had to have a lot of help from the other 10 guys on defense; everybody had to do their job so I could do my job.
SL: Thanks a lot guys and good luck with your campaign in providing enough information out to the public about prostate cancer.
RL: Thank you.
MH: Thank you, Sam.
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For more information on prostate cancer, visit KnowYourStats.org.
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