Place of birth: Willmington, Deleware College: Villanova Role NFL player Education Villanova University | Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Name Kevin Reilly Weight 100 kg Positions Linebacker | |
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Date of birth: (1951-04-10) April 10, 1951 (age 64) | ||
Kevin Reilly is a former NFL player who is currently a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Eagles Network and a motivational speaker.
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NFL career
Kevin was originally drafted from Villanova by the Miami Dolphins in 1973 in the seventh round, although later that year he returned to his Wilmington, DE home and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, serving as captain of the squad's special teams for two seasons before ending his career with the New England Patriots.
Battle with cancer
In 1976, shortly after beginning his NFL career, Kevin was diagnosed with a rare scar tissue tumor known as desmoid tumor. This effectively ended his career in football. He then underwent multiple surgeries that were unsuccessful in curing the cancer, ultimately undergoing an 11 1/2 hour surgery in 1979 at Memorial Sloan Kettering to remove his left arm, shoulder, and five ribs. Recovery from surgery was difficult and Reilly suffered significant depression but was able to overcome it at least in part due to the support of another NFL player who overcame similar physical trauma from injury in the Vietnam War, Rocky Bleier.
Post cancer life
After surgery, Kevin worked hard at rehabilitation to overcome the limitations the experts said he would have. He learned to tie a necktie with one hand, to play golf with one hand, and ran 5 half marathons and in the Marine Corps Marathon.
He went on to a 30-year career with Xerox and now, in retirement, is a sports radio broadcaster, appearing on Eagles' pregame and postgame shows. He also does motivational speaking, sharing his story with cancer patients, recuperating soldiers, and special needs student. Reilly also counseled victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings.
In 2015, Kevin was announced as the color analyst for the Villanova Wildcats football radio team on WTEL (AM).