Chad Greenway is recruiting extra support for a friend and former teammate.
Greenway is heading a "Tackling Cancer as a Team" fundraiser for former Vikings linebacker Nate Triplett, who on Feb. 17, 2021, was diagnosed with brain cancer.
A native of Maple Plain, Minnesota, Triplett spent the 2010 offseason with the Vikings before eventually signing with the Colts, where he played two seasons. While he never played a regular-season game for his home state, Triplett left a positive influence on the locker room.
"Nate came in from the Gophers, and I didn't know much about him. I knew he was a local kid and had done really well," Greenway said. "We spent a short time together when he came to the Vikings, but he's just a really good person, a good guy, a guy that impacted the room."
Greenway shared via a GoFundMe page that Triplett was experiencing "what he thought were some seemingly minor medical issues." An unexpected trip to the emergency room soon followed, though, and an MRI revealed a large glioma inside Triplett's brain stem.
Triplett was rushed to North Memorial Hospital, where he remained under observation until undergoing a biopsy a few weeks later. The tumor was confirmed to be cancerous, and it was determined that this type of cancer cannot be removed surgically but can be mitigated with radiation and chemotherapies.
Greenway recently learned of Triplett's situation through a friend who asked Greenway to autograph a couple of Vikings items for a benefit being held for the family. When Greenway realized who the benefit was for, he reconnected with Triplett to see how he could support.
Triplett, who will turn 35 on March 15, hesitated initially at the idea of Greenway setting up such a public-facing fundraiser.
"It's all about servicing, helping others – it always sort of has been with our [Lead the Way] foundation," Greenway said. "Nate and I hadn't stayed in super close contact, and I didn't even know this was going on, quite honestly. I was told by somebody else, and he wasn't going to ask for help.
"They're obviously going through a super tough time right now, and I was like, 'Well, I've gotta use my platform and try to help their family right now,' " Greenway continued. "I just told him I wanted to help."
Triplett's tumor has responded favorably to radiation and chemotherapy over the past year, so the family is continuing down this treatment path.
"Unfortunately, although the tumor is responding, Nate is still unable to return to work. As you can imagine, the medical bills, treatments and medical care for Nate are adding up," Greenway wrote.
The former Vikings Community Man of the Year encouraged loved ones, friends and fans alike to rally behind Triplett, his wife Jessica, and their two daughters.
"I thought, 'Why wouldn't you leverage some of the people that Nate entertained in football and in college?' Plus, Minnesotans like to support our own. I'm really glad I was able to do it for him, and hopefully it works out to help their family."
Greenway has set the GoFundMe goal at $15,000.
