Eric Berry made plays the Chiefs needed in emotional Atlanta homecoming

The Kansas City Chiefs got a big win on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, and it was primarily thanks to safety Eric Berry.

Berry, an Atlanta native, was playing in the Georgia Dome for the first time since he entered the NFL in 2010, and said that it was an emotional homecoming, for good reason.

“The last time I came home during the season was to get chemotherapy,” Berry said following the win. “So this time it was actually for the game, so I was just thankful for the opportunity. And I take pride in a lot of things that people take for granted, so when opportunities come my way, I just cherish them and try to make the most of them.”

Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the 2014 season, and returned to Atlanta to seek treatment at Emory University Hospital.

During the game, Berry had two interceptions that he returned for scores against the Falcons, and he presented his mother with the ball following a pick-six.

Berry said his plan all along was to give his mother the ball as a way to thank her for her support during his successful battle with cancer.

“It won’t amount to the things she’s given me — and my dad as well,” Berry said. “So many nights I just was crying on their shoulders and trying to make sense of everything that’s going on, and they just kept telling me, ‘Just keep pressing and pressing. You’ll be back. You’ll be able to play the game the way you want to play the game,’ and just for it to happen and both of them just supported me throughout the whole process. I can’t thank them enough.”

Berry’s second interception came on a two-point attempt after the Falcons had taken a one-point lead over Kansas City late in the fourth quarter on a touchdown. Berry read the play, picked off the pass and returned it for two points, sealing the win for the Chiefs.

Berry said his father has influenced the way he approaches those extra-point plays.

“Just growing up, my dad, he always told me the most important point of the game is the extra point,” Berry said. “So a lot of people take that play off, and like I said, it’s an opportunity to make something happen, and I made the most of it.”

Berry became the first player to score on a pick-six and a defensive two-point conversion in the same game. It was also the first time that a player had returned a two-point conversion while his team was behind.

Head coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs weren’t surprised the Falcons attempted a two-point conversion. Berry was prepared.

“No, they needed to (go for two),” Reid said. “We figured that they were going to do that. I’m glad we had Eric Berry right there.”

Following the win in Atlanta, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith explained that Berry is the “heart and soul of this team.”

“I think (he’s) the embodiment of what we’re about, and that’s selflessness,” Smith said. “That’s hard work. Giving it up for the guy next to you. That’s all Eric talks about, and it’s real. It’s sincere. It’s not fake. No phoniness about it. it’s from the heart, and I think that really does echo throughout the locker room, because of who he is and the way he plays.”

On Sunday against the Falcons, the way Berry played was a big factor in the Chiefs’ 29-28 victory.