Football fans are surely holding their breath and saying silent collective prayers. While Jerome Harrison thought his trade from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles was in the bag, he was turned down due to a medical problem.

ESPN reports that while the Eagles were giving the running back a mandatory physical, they also discovered the 28-year-old had a brain tumor. The turndown is obviously a blessing in disguise and possibly one that could save the baller’s life.

Although the Michigan native will not play again this year, sources tell the website he is expected to recover and return to the game because the tumor was caught early. Harrison met with more doctors today and the prognosis will hopefully be an optimistic one.

Harrison was chosen as a 2005 All-American.