The scoreboard might have read 34-19 in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, but for anyone who watched the game, the real winner was veteran safety Eric Berry.
From the moment he boarded the team plane Friday afternoon in Kansas City up until the postgame press conference, the weekend belonged to him.
After the game, Berry opened up about what the past 48 hours had been like for him.
"I broke down on the plane on the way out here," Berry explained. "It all just hit me. You take the little things in and appreciate everything about the game and everything that surrounds the game. Just the smell of the grass, the crowd, the food; being in the locker room with my teammates and greeting security at the airport, I missed stuff like that.
"It is just a blessing to be out here."
It had been 264 days since Berry had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma before Saturday night's matchup against the Cardinals.
After six months of chemotherapy and being declared cancer-free on June 22, the anticipation for Berry to get back on the field was hard for him to contain.
"He was out of control in the locker room before the game," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He was just excited and ready to go. I'm very happy for him.
"It made the night for him to be out on the field."
Before kickoff when the team ran back onto the field, Berry ran over to his mother, Carol, who was on the sidelines and gave her a hug.
It was one of those moments that a picture couldn't tell the whole story.
Both of them were emotional at a time in which it became even more obvious that the night was about more than football.
"She was there from day one," Berry said of his mother. "We went through a lot together and she saw me at my worst. We talked about this moment and I think that's why she came to tears like that. It's something we talked about when I was laying in the hospital bed or just in the room up at four in the morning. She was telling me everything would be OK because I just couldn't stop crying.
"A lot of people talk about the person going through the situation, but they don't talk about the caregiver. I can see how stressful it was for her and how it weighed on her. She was going through things outside of my deal, so for her to put everything on the side and just deal with me, it was a blessing to have her on my side."
The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Arizona Cardinals in week one of the 2015 preseason.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Richard Gordon (89) arrives in Arizona.
Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs Mitch Holthus arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Sean Smith (21) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Eric Kush (64) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West (35) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Steven Nelson (20) arrives in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Anthony Sherman (42) along with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) arrive in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) arrive in Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Aaron Murray (7) arrives in Arizona.
The 50 yard line at University of Phoenix Stadium.
University of Phoenix Stadium end zone.
University of Phoenix Stadium.
Game ball sits on the University of Phoenix Stadium field.
Kansas City Chiefs fans made the trek all the way to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) hugs his mother after his arrival to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) hugs his mother after his arrival to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) hugs his mother after his arrival to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws the ball during pre-game.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West (35) during pre-game.
The Kansas City Chiefs huddle up during pre-game.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Sean Smith (21) takes to the center of the huddle during pre-game.
Kansas City Chiefs huddle up with hands in the middle.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston (50) embrace prior to kick off.
Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt (2) during the National Anthem.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) embraces Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer at cointoss.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) shakes hands at the coin toss.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) meets with the cointoss kid.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson (56)
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston (50) at the line.
The Kansas City Chiefs at the line vs The Arizona Cardinals.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin March (59) celebrates with Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29).
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) runs up field.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) runs up filed with the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt (2) punts the ball off to Arizona.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) makes a catch.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dezman Moses (54) makes a tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Da'Ron Brown (4) reaches out for the reception.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dezman Moses (54) makes a tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Fred Williams (83) celebrates following a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs punter Cairo Santos (5) kicks the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel (10) looks down field for an open reciever.
Kansas City Chiefs fans
Kansas City Chiefs reporter speaks with Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid following the end of the first half.
Kansas City Chiefs reporter speaks with Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry (29) following the end of the first half.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Da'Ron Brown (4) celebrates following a touchdown.
A Kansas City Chiefs fan celebrates with the chop following a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Ramik Wilson (53) runs for a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefshuddle up.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Cyrus Gray (32) scores a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Cyrus Gray (32) scores a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Frank Zombo (51) makes a block.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Frank Zombo (51) makes a block.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Allen Bailey (97) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Jaye Howard (96) go over plays on the sideline.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman David Irving (74) makes a play on a kicked ball.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Aaron Murray (7) at the line.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrin Reaves (32) runs the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff on the sidelines.
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Zach Fulton (73)
Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Eric Kush (64)
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
Referee Sarah Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid talks with Arizona Head Coach Bruce Arians following the Chiefs win.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Adam Drake (14) talks with Arizona Wide Reciever Jaxon Shipley following the end of the game.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Ryan Taylor (82) meets with Arizona's Jonathan Cooper and Kareem Martin following the end of the game.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver L'Damian Washington (1) and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Morse (61) meet with Arizona's Markus Golden.
Kansas City Chiefs Reporter BJ Kissel talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel (10) following the end of the game.
Kansas City Chiefs head to the locker room following the end of the game.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali (91) signs autographs for chiefs fans following the end of the game.
Young Cardinals and Chiefs fans in the crowd.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Jamell Fleming (30) heads to the locker room.
A young Chiefs fan with a #BerryStrong sign.
"Chiefs fans are loud and proud!"
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid speaks to the team in the locker room following the Chiefs win over Arizona.
Berry has already been paying that blessing forward as he's had plenty of fans come by training camp with their own stories to try and share with him.
"I've been running into a lot of people that don't even know about football telling me that their cousin has been diagnosed with cancer or their mom or aunt," he explained. "They just tell me that they have hope because they see me out on the field, and that means a lot to me.
"It's amazing to see everybody else get so much hope just from seeing me strap on the pads. Before I even get on the field, to see me practice and see me out there with the team, it does so much for them. I just have to go hard and give everything I have to give them hope.
"I just have to take advantage of this opportunity because it's bigger than football."
