Five-year-old Cleveland Browns fan Ryan Encinas got the chance of a lifetime on Saturday night. In front of a crowd of more than 24,000 screaming fans, Encinas clutched the football and ran it 40 yards down the field for his first NFL touchdown, with a little help from his lead blockers, head coach Rob Chudzinski and the Browns organization.
5-year-old cancer survivor runs for a TD at Browns Family Night
The Browns gave one young fan the chance of a lifetime on Saturday night.
Encinas was diagnosed with lung cancer when he was two-years-old. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments that managed to get the cancer under control. Saturday night’s touchdown marked the second year that his cancer has been in remission, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The boy’s father summed up the experience:
“This is one of the highest highs we’ve had during this entire ordeal. To see him out there running with the Cleveland Browns is one of the greatest experiences of our lives.”
The idea to give Encinas the ball on Saturday night came from Chudzinski’s 7-year-old son. He got the idea from Nebraska’s spring football game in April, when the Cornhuskers invited a seven-year-old fan fighting cancer to score a touchdown.
Awesome moment, Ryan Encinas (fighting a left lung tumor) runs in for a touchdown. He's a fighter!!!!! pic.twitter.com/87ZqXoYeHa
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 4, 2013
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