The video is the third from Maximum Effort and The Colorectal Cancer Alliance, but the shortest in length. The previous two, the first starring Reynolds and his Wrexham Football Club partner, Rob McElhenney, and another featuring actor and former footballer Terry Crews in character as Idiocracy President Camacho, followed each as they filmed their colonoscopies.
“Losing my mother to colon cancer was devastating, and no one should have to go through that,” said Prescott in a statement. “That’s why I started the colon cancer screening and research pillar of my Faith Fight Finish Foundation. Partnering with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Lead from Behind is another way I can let people, especially Black Americans who are at greater risk, know that colon cancer is preventable and there are a variety of screening options.”
Touching down on a touchy subject
With the NFL season attracting a sizeable audience, having the quarterback from one of the league’s most popular and influential teams, who happens to be intimately connected to the cause, is a cunning move to raise awareness of the dangers of colorectal cancer and how preventable it is, with a 90% survival rate with early detection and treatment.
“I’d like to thank Dak for joining Rob McElhenney, Terry Crews and me in helping raise awareness for dropping your drawers,” Reynolds, Maximum Effort’s co-founder, said in a statement. “This is a highly preventable cancer and the more we advocate for and destigmatize the colorectal screening process, the more real lives are saved.”
While the Lead from Behind initiative has brought some appreciated humor to an issue that is no laughing matter and has raised significant awareness due to “the Reynolds Effect,” there remains a disparity in care among people of color, who are most at risk for the disease.
“Our research shows that screening access varies greatly among Black and medically underserved populations, which directly impacts the risk of colorectal cancer,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences, in the statement. “We applaud the Colorectal Cancer Alliance for creating a Health Equity Fund and are committed to assisting its efforts to make screening accessible for all.”
The Alliance hopes videos like these continue to make an impact until there’s no longer a need for them.
“The mission of the Alliance is to end colorectal cancer in our lifetime,” said Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. “By raising awareness for screening options and prevention through Lead From Behind and decreasing disparities through the Health Equity Fund, we are making significant strides in achieving that mission.”
