Bobby Smith

Bobby Smith acquired several lasting traits during his play in the National Football League (NFL). Perseverance, mental fortitude, and maintaining an upbeat attitude were just a few of the qualities the former pro defensive back needed in order to be a successful football player.

Decades later, far removed from seasons played for the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions, Bobby called on his football field experiences for encouragement after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001.  Suddenly the former NFL player was faced with the challenge of his life—not from any opposing wide receiver, but from a cluster of renegade cancerous cells.  It was the scariest challenge he had ever faced.  

“I wasn’t 100 percent a lot of the time back when I was playing. I had to push myself both physically and mentally.  So, I think that helped me in maintaining the right mindset when it came to fighting cancer,” says the Los Angeles resident, comparing his football career with his response to cancer. “Being positive was important then and during my ordeal with prostate cancer. I would say to myself ‘I can get through this’. When you’re hurt [on the football field], or in the situation of prostate cancer, you have to take on the attitude that you can get through it… that with early treatment you can lead a productive life.”

It Runs in the Family
Although Bobby had lost his father to complications from prostate cancer, he actively believed the disease wouldn’t be something that would personally affect him.  Still, he would periodically have a PSA test done during routine physicals as a precaution. Then, one year he was stunned to learn his PSA levels had jumped dramatically from his previous year’s results. A later biopsy confirmed he in fact had prostate cancer.

“I used to associate prostate cancer with something that happens later in life, if it were to happen at all,” said Bobby. “Even though my father had it, I really didn’t give it a second thought to it before I was diagnosed.”

Statistics show African-American men are 56 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to Caucasian men. They are also nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. Adding to Bobby’s likelihood of developing prostate cancer was the fact that men who have a single first-degree relative (father or brother) with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease.

“If I hadn’t done anything, and not have been getting screened, I likely would have set myself up for a bad outcome,” says Bobby.

With knowledge of those alarming statistics in mind after diagnosis, Bobby reached out to friends who had themselves been diagnosed as well as additional physicians for advice. 

Treatment & Life as a Survivor
Since Bobby’s prostate cancer was caught at an early stage, several options were still readily available to him for treatment – including not having surgery at all. Not personally comfortable, however, with a “wait and observe” approach to see if his cancer tumor would remain localized, he decided to undergo brachytherapy to treat his disease.

Along with his wife, Adrian, and now eight years after having undergone the procedure, Bobby is enjoying life as a prostate cancer survivor.  He stays busy through involvement with various recreational sports and activities in his community. In addition to playing golf four times a week and walking at least three times a week, Bobby volunteers at his alma mater, UCLA, recruiting new students from the inner-city. (Read Bobby's diagnosis from Adrian Smith's perspective.)

“Life now is about as normal as it would have been had I not had prostate cancer,” says Bobby. “I still get my PSA screening twice a year, but I don’t make prostate cancer my primary focus anymore. I’m just enjoying life.”

Bobby is eager to speak with other men who are affected with prostate cancer, and welcomes the dialogue.  He sometimes runs into resistance from men who aren’t quite ready to talk about it, believing fear or lack of knowledge about prostate cancer is a primary reason for their reluctance. With that in mind, Bobby recognizes when it’s the right time to approach the subject with others.

“When it’s appropriate and invited, I’m more than happy to share my own experiences and express the need to get tested,” says Bobby. “Because I’ve actually gone through it, I talk to many of my friends and colleges about prostate cancer. I’m willing to share whatever I can.”