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The tumor removed from Hall of Fame defensive end Chris Doleman’s brain turned out to be cancerous, and the surgery revealed two other tumors currently being treated with radiation. He nevertheless maintains a positive outlook.

“I feel great, man,” Doleman recently told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “God has blessed me for the last month just waking up every day, one day at a time. That’s how I look at it.”

It’s nevertheless been a difficult couple of months for Doleman, who rose to prominence three decades ago with the Vikings..

“When a doctor tells you that you have brain cancer, it changes your whole world,” Doleman said. “Those are the scariest words that you’ll ever hear in your life. When I first heard it, I was so devastated by it I couldn’t get any words out of my mouth.”

Per Tomasson, Doleman has glioblastoma. In addition to the radiation, Doleman is undergoing chemotherapy.

“We’re working on [the cancer] on a daily basis,” Doleman said. “It can heal, and it can come back. I ask Vikings fans to pray for me on a daily basis. Just one day at a time.”

Vikings fans and all football fans should say a prayer for Doleman.