Titans OL Honoring Mom vs. Patriots

Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Lloyd Cushenberry III is in his second season with the team and he's happy to be closer to his family, who are from Louisiana.

The timing was especially important because Cushenberry's mom, Debbie, was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. Debbie is now in remission and will be honored during the first quarter of the Titans' Week 7 game against the New England Patriots as part of the NFL's Crucial Catch campaign.

"She's my biggest fan, and my biggest critic, too," Cushenberry said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. "She still considers herself my first coach. She is everything to me."

Tennessee Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry III gives an interview as the team cleans out their locker room. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the NFL has been a leading organization in raising awareness in getting tested and screened. Having Cushenberry's mom at the game will be a special moment for the Titans center.

Cushenberry opened up about his mom's struggles treating the illness.

"It rocked my world for a while," Cushenberry said via Wyatt. "I was going through my first major injury, trying to recover from that. I was here every week, but on Fridays I would fly back to Louisiana and take care of her, and then fly back on Monday morning and come here to get treatment. I wanted to be there for her because she's always been there for me.

"By the grace of God, she stayed strong, and my sister did a great job being there full time for her. My brother as well. But it was tough."

While Cushenberry was recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered against the Patriots last season, his mom was undergoing cancer treatment. Having the two trying to improve their health at the same time was challenging on the family, but both are healthy and ready to go for the game.

"My mom always tells me to stray strong, keep pushing, go hard, and that's what I am going to try to do on Sunday, to make her proud," Cushenberry said via Wyatt. "She is the strongest person I know."

The Titans will need Cushenberry and the rest of the offensive line to push forward after a tough 1-5 start to the season. With Brian Callahan no longer serving as the head coach of the team following him being fired, the Titans have to move forward with who they have.

If Cushenberry and the Titans can keep pushing forward, they will eventually find themselves in a better spot than they are now, much like his mom.

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