Football

Vikings' C.J. Ham helps NFL prevent cancer as he seeks to 'love the way Jesus loves'

By Kevin Mercer Oct 10, 2024
Wearing a cross earring, Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham smiles with fans, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Studies now indicate that Americans have a 40% chance of being diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetimes, according to USA Today, and cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Almost everyone has been touched by the terrible disease.

The NFL is not blind to the grim statistics and has decided to do something about it. Together with the American Cancer Society, the NFL has sought to “intercept cancer” since 2009 with the Crucial Catch initiative.

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According to the initiative’s website, Crucial Catch “promotes prevention and early detection of cancer, which can impact anyone at any age, and increases access to lifesaving cancer screenings. Since 2009, Crucial Catch has raised more than $27 million and impacted over one million people in communities that need it most.”

One of the 15 NFL spokesmen for the Crucial Catch initiative is Minnesota Vikings two-time Pro Bowl fullback C.J. Ham, who lost his mother, Tina, to pancreatic cancer in 2020.

“As believers, our faith [shows] we want to love the way Jesus loves, and I would say that my mom truly exemplified that,” Ham said in a recent video promoting the initiative. “She was the closest thing on this planet that I had to Jesus’ love.”

Ham detailed in the video the 14-month fight with the disease that his mother endured and the “infectious personality” she had, which never faded despite her cancer.

“Our faith was something that we leaned on,” Ham said as he reflected on the dark days following Tina’s diagnosis.

Ham and his wife, Stephanie, also spoke about the all-day “Pamper Her Purple” event held at the Vikings facility and inspired by Tina’s life. C.J. and Stephanie spend time with women who either survived cancer or are currently battling cancer, and the women enjoy access to the Vikings’ amenities and are treated to a spa day.

“Everyone should get regular screenings as much as possible,” Ham said at the conclusion of the video. “Being able to detect it early gives you a better chance to live and to beat it and to have a healthy life.”

In the midst of Ham’s work off the field to promote the Crucial Catch initiative, he also made a trip to the end zone during Minnesota’s 23-17 victory over the New York Jets in London on Sunday. It was the first touchdown for Ham, who is primarily a blocker, since Dec. 17, 2022.

Ham often wears eye black in the shape of a cross under both eyes as well as cross earrings during games, and he has tattoos of his favorite Bible verse, Romans 5:8, as well as Tina’s favorite verse, Philippians 4:13. He also says he’s a “Follower of Jesus” and cites Romans 5:8 in his X bio. The verse says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The 31-year-old Ham has been a guest on the Sports Spectrum Podcast twice during his nine-year NFL career, once in 2021 and more recently this past May. Ham reflected in May on his mother’s death in light of his faith in Jesus and the eternal victory his mother has in Him.

“God wants to walk alongside of me,” Ham said. “I still don’t have the answers to why things happened, but I don’t need to know the answers. I don’t need to know them. But what I do know and what I do trust is that God is with me, He is for me, He will never be against me, and He wants to comfort me. He wants to put His arms around me like a loving Father always does.”

Ham then spoke about the Biblical concept of hope and comfort for those grieving the death of a loved one who was a follower of Christ, because that loved one is now present with the Lord.

“Now I know that my mom is with the Lord,” Ham said. “She’s with the Person, our Creator, who made us. We’re where we’re supposed to be. As Christ-followers, that’s the end goal. That’s where life begins.”

Ham has taken comfort in God throughout his career, especially in Romans 5:8.

“It’s so encouraging,” Ham said on the podcast in May. “God could easily look at us and just be like, ‘Man, I’m just disgusted with My creation. I’m disgusted with these people, they keep failing.’ But it’s like, no, He still loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us right where we are.

“We didn’t have to do anything special. We didn’t have to cleanse ourselves in the moment. He went on that cross. He knew what He was doing when He went on that cross in dying for our sins past, present and future. If God loves us like that so much, I gotta show that same love towards Him and towards everybody around me.”

When asked about his tattoo of Philippians 4:13, Ham revealed how his mother clung to the verse while in the depths of her cancer battle.

“Lord, where You have me right now, I know I can endure it,” Ham remembers Tina praying. “I can get through it because You are with me.”

Both Ham and his mother found their strength in God during her pancreatic cancer, and now Ham seeks to prevent others from having to endure a similar cancer trial.

With his help, the Crucial Catch initiative has impacted more than 1.8 million people across the country, especially in under-served areas. The initiative is year round, although it is activated on the field and throughout team markets from Weeks 4-6 of the season.

Ham and his 5-0 Vikings are on a bye this week, but he will continue to remain active in educating others about the risks of cancer and the importance of regular screenings.

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