NASHVILLE – Debbie Cushenberry was leaving work roughly 20 years ago when she saw a group of kids playing organized football.
When she got home, she asked her eight-year-old son, Lloyd, if he wanted to give it a try. He said yes, and not long after he was wearing No. 35 for the St. Amani Wildcats.
Cushenberry has been playing football ever since, from his days in Pop Warner to high school to college at LSU, all the way to the NFL, first with the Broncos and now the Titans.
Cushenberry's biggest supporter? His mom.
"She's my biggest fan, and my biggest critic, too," Cushenberry said with a smile. "She still considers herself my first coach. She is everything to me."
Cushenberry's mom will be introduced at Nissan Stadium during the first quarter of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.
Debbie Cushenberry will be recognized as part of the NFL's Crucial Catch initiative, because of her brave battle with breast cancer. In the locker room on Thursday, Lloyd Cushenberry was happy to say that recent tests on his mom were encouraging, with no signs of cancer.
Debbie Cushenberry was diagnosed with breast cancer back in February, and she underwent chemotherapy treatments. At the same time, Lloyd Cushenberry was recovering from an Achilles injury, which ended his 2024 season.
The two encouraged one another. Debbie Cushenberry's body was weakened by the treatments, and she had pain and body aches.
"It rocked my world for a while," Cushenberry said. "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."
Cushenberry said it will be special to see his mom on the field on Sunday.
If he starts to fight his emotions, he'll think of his mom.
As part of the NFL's Crucial Catch campaign, teams honor cancer survivors while remembering those lost to cancer, while also doing their part to educate the public about the importance of early cancer detection.
"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. "She is the strongest person I know."
