When Alexander Mattison sees his dad cheering him on in the stands during a game, he feels incredibly grateful.

In late December of 2010, Mattison's father, Darnell, went into the hospital for what he and his family believed was pneumonia. He was then diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a diagnosis that was hard for the young Alexander and his two brothers to comprehend.

"I was really confused," Alexander Mattison said. "I was really devastated at the news because all I knew about the word cancer was death. I was scared.

"Luckily, growing up in my household, we were a strong, based in faith family. We had a lot of love around us from close friends and family, so it was a time where we just stayed together."

Hairy cell leukemia is a rare form of cancer of the white blood cells that accounts for 2% of all adult leukemias and progresses slowly. According to the Leukemia Research Foundation, around 85-90% of people diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia achieve complete remission. Around 50% of those in remission will survive without relapse for 10 years.

Darnell went through multiple bone marrow transplants and over the course of his treatment lost around 50 pounds. But due to the intensity of the extensive treatment and side effects, Mattison's parents didn't want their three sons to visit, hoping to shield them from seeing their father in pain.

After two months of treatments, he went into remission and has maintained his health since.

"He's definitely taking his health very seriously, making sure that he doesn't go backwards in any way but it's awesome to see he has a smile on his face every day and is grateful for the life he has," Alexander said. "I just love him and appreciate him."

Reflecting on it now, he understands his parents' views and sees only the strength his father had to overcome the barrier in front of him – something that inspires him in all aspects of his life.

"It taught me a lot about him, his strength and resilience. His love for his family," he said. "The will to fight for his family was something that I don't think I had the chance to put words to how grateful I am for him for seeing it through. He told us they had given him certain different options [for treatment] and he picked the one that was going to get him home to his family. Whether that was going to be the more painful option and the longer treatment option, he picked that because he wanted to be there for us.

"For me, that's something that I hold near and dear to my heart. With my growing family that I have now, it's something that I'll always pick the fight for my family. I'll always make sure that I'm resilient for them through thick and thin."

Since entering the NFL, the running back has been dedicated to raising cancer awareness with the platform he has.

He serves as an ambassador for the American Cancer Society and through his foundation, I AM GIFTED, Mattison plans to visit hospitals during the month of October to meet with doctors and nurses while also sharing encouragement with cancer patients.

Additionally, this past Tuesday, Mattison joined his Raiders teammate Carter Bradley and Nevada Health Centers members at a cancer screening resource event, where the players got to meet with cancer survivors like Brenda Robinson.

Robinson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 after undergoing a mammogram at a local Las Vegas Crucial Catch event and is now in remission.

"The importance of the mobile mammogram, one, is the convenience," she said. "When I realized something was wrong with me, I went to my doctor and asked for a referral to get a mammogram, and I was told I had almost three months to wait to get screened. … To be able to go to a place or even a van that's free, that's local, that can screen you immediately and tell you if you have a problem is invaluable."

For both Robinson and Darnell Mattison, early detection played a huge role in their respective cancer journeys.

"Not only is it life or death situation when it comes down to fighting cancer, the earlier you can find out, the earlier you can start your fight and the better your chances are against that," Alexander Mattison said.

"There's light on the other side. Stay strong, stay together and be relentless. The fight is worth it."

The NFL's Crucial Catch Initiative aims to bring awareness to the importance of early detection and connect fans with cancer screening resources. Per the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate for many cancers is over 90% when detected early.

Click here to find a local cancer screening center near you.