Chris Mortensen, an American journalist, is most known for being the face of ESPN’s football coverage. He contributes to ESPN’s SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com as a sports expert.
When the 69-year-old journalist was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016, he faced the most difficult test of his life, which included a protracted hospital stay and severe weight loss. Unfortunately, Chris Mortensen’s health has deteriorated since then.
Chris Mortensen: Is He Sick?
On January 15, 2016, Mortensen revealed on the ESPN network that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. He also issued a statement in which he claimed that he would be taking a break from his ESPN coverage to fight cancer. He went on to say that he had his wife Micki’s, family’s, and coworkers’ full support and prayers as he prepared for the therapy.
“As a result, with the support and encouragement of ESPN president John Skipper and many others at ESPN, I am temporarily stepping aside from my normal NFL coverage duties to better engage this chance to fight the good fight,” his statement stated.
Mortensen’s treatment began with intense chemotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after he briefly left ESPN. By August 2016, the cancer on his throat and the base of his tongue had vanished as a result of the treatment.
He announced the good news in a statement on August 31 of that year, announcing that he would most likely return to ESPN to work on NFL coverage. Mortensen returned to ESPN in September 2016 to work on the NFL’s first-round draft coverage, just as he had promised.
Chris Mortensen’s throat cancer had spread throughout his body.
The journalist’s health began to deteriorate immediately after his return to ESPN. His cancer had returned in November 2016, and it had spread to his left lung, according to his physicians.
In an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated in October 2017, the television personality disclosed that his battle with the cancer could last the rest of his life.
“For the time being, there is no clear end to treatment,” Mortensen added. “From the beginning, it has been fairly upbeat. I asked [the doctors] how long this will go on for, and they said it may continue on indefinitely. At the original location, I’m still clean.”
While he gathers all of his courage and hopes to conquer cancer, he continues to take treatment to keep the disease at bay. He battles his weight loss, health difficulties, and regularly scheduled scans and exams to monitor his malignancy.
Biographical Information for Chris Mortensen
Mortensen, who was born on November 7, 1951, attended El Camino College before serving in the army for two years during the Vietnam War. In 1969, he began writing in his hometown via The Daily Breeze Newspaper, which he created after his term.
He worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1983 to 1990, and he also worked for The National in the meantime. Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991, where he first worked as a reporter for NFL GameDay and the Outside The Lines series. In 1991 and 1992, he worked as an analyst for the network’s coverage of the NFL draft.
He is now an award-winning writer who covers the National Football League as one of the most renowned and accomplished journalists in the business. Mortensen also has a $6 million net worth.
You May Also Like To Read: Kendyl Tristan, Luke Macfarlane, Catherine Torres, Jozadak