After a mass was discovered in Eric Berry's chest in late November, the Kansas City Chiefs placed the safety on the non-football injury list so he could receive the proper medical attention. In the time since, Berry has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and will begin treatment immediately.

Berry first became aware of the condition when he felt chest pains during the Chiefs' 24-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 20. Tests conducted the following day revealed the mass in his chest, suggesting a serious and possibly cancerous condition. The team released a statement expressing support for Berry along with a statement from Berry himself.

Berry underwent additional testing at Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta to determine what exactly had caused the mass to form in his chest. The institute issued this press release Monday:

Doctors at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta have diagnosed Georgia native and Kansas City Chiefs NFL player Eric Berry with Hodgkin lymphoma after completing a medical work-up and thorough testing. "This is a diagnosis that is very treatable and potentially curable with standard chemotherapy approaches," says Christopher R. Flowers, MD, director of the Emory Lymphoma Program at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute. "The goal of Mr. Berry's treatment is to cure his lymphoma and we are beginning that treatment now."

Berry also issued his own statement regarding the diagnosis:

"My family and I are very grateful for the amount of support we have received over the last couple of weeks. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all the words of encouragement, the blessings and well wishes. I want to thank the Emory University School of Medicine, along with Dr. Flowers and his team, for all of their hard work and effort in diagnosing and creating a plan for me to battle this thing. I will embrace this process and attack it the same way I do everything else in life. God has more than prepared me for it. For everyone sharing similar struggles, I'm praying for you and keep fighting!"

To support Berry and those suffering from similar conditions, the Chiefs have made "BE BOLD BE BRAVE BE BERRY" shirts available in the team's pro shop at Arrowhead Stadium. All proceeds from the sales will be directed to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.