Erin Andrews never missed an NFL game for Fox as she battled cervical cancer last year

Erin Andrews battled cervical cancer during the 2016 season, she told MMQB in an interview published online Tuesday. The Fox NFL sideline reporter said she was told back in November that she would not need radiation or chemotherapy following the success of two surgical procedures.

Throughout the ordeal this fall, Andrews performed all of her sideline duties for the network.

“Should I have been standing for a full game five days after surgery?� Andrews said. “Let’s just say the doctor didn’t recommend that.�

After a routine checkup in June, Andrews’ was told the doctors needed to run a few tests. Four months later, she was in a meeting at the New York Giants’ facility the day before a Week 3 game against Washington when she got a call with the results of those tests.

Andrews still worked that Sunday’s game. Then she flew to Los Angeles for her first procedure, which took place Oct. 11.

But before surgery, she made one thing clear to her oncologist: “I’m not watching any football games at home. This is [Fox’s] Super Bowl year, and I’m not missing the Super Bowl.�

Andrews did miss that week’s tapings (two episodes total) in her other gig as a host on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.� But she took a red-eye flight from L.A. to Green Bay, Wis., two nights after the operation and shot a feature with Packers receiver Jordy Nelson that Friday morning.

“Sports were my escape,� Andrews said. “I needed to be with my crew.�

She told MMQB she learned it was best for her to work during challenging times through another harrowing experience in her past. A civil trial in connection with the stalker who shot nude videos of her through hotel peepholes took place last year. Andrews was awarded $55 million in damages from the hotel management companies in March and, after they appealed, agreed to an undisclosed settlement the following month.

“After the trial everyone kept telling me, ‘You’re so strong, for going through all of this, for holding down a job in football, for being the only woman on the crew,’ � Andrews says. “Finally I got to the point where I believed it too. ‘Hey, I have cancer, but dammit, I am strong, and I can do this.’ �

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Twitter: @chewkiii

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