Former Gopher football player Casey O'Brien says he's battling cancer again

Former Gopher football player Casey O'Brien says he is once again battling cancer.

O'Brien was originally diagnosed with a form of bone cancer in 2013 and his story drew national attention during his playing days in the maroon and gold. O'Brien even getting on the field to hold an extra point at Rutgers in 2019.

Speaking to WCCO Radio's Chad Hartman on Tuesday, O'Brien says the cancer's spread to his lung, liver and low back now.

"We've gotten to a point where we've gone through a lot of the traditional routes," says O'Brien. "They're rare cancers to begin with, so there's not a ton on the table as you first start out and we've tried a lot of those routes. So now we're getting into some different things and it's not all covered."

O'Brien said he's exhausted more traditional options in his cancer battle and that he's pursuing cutting edge procedures, which aren't covered by health insurance.

"PEF, basically what it is is they insert a really small needle into the tumors and use some sort of shock therapy that you can't feel because you're knocked out," he explains. "But it kills the tumor, breaks up the tumor and helps the body recognize the tumor. And, you know, generate an immune response."

A Go Fund Me looks to raise $250,000 for his medical expenses. As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly $200,000 had been donated.

O'Brien was a standout at Cretin-Derhman Hall and joined the Gophers as a specialist. He saw playing time during the Gophers 2019 win at Rutgers when he entered the game to hold a PAT, sharing a special moment with head coach P.J. Fleck afterwards.

O'Brien is already a four-time cancer survivor and despite the reoccurrence, he's ready for the challenge.

"I'm human, so I'm sad and I'm frustrated and scared and everything else," O'Brien told Hartman. "But at the same time I have so much fun living and I have so much fun being around the people that care about me. And doing the things that I love to do. I don't want to give that up."