Terry Bradshaw Explains Why He Waited To Share His Cancer Diagnosis Publicly

Terry Bradshaw is revealing the reason why he kept his cancer diagnosis private for a year.

The NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer, 74, appeared on Wednesday's episode of "Today," where he explained that he didn't want "pity" after he was diagnosed with two forms of cancer over the past year — bladder cancer and a rare, aggressive type of skin cancer called a Merkel cell tumor.

"I didn't talk about it because I didn't want pity," he said. "I didn't talk about it because a lot of celebrities -- unfortunately, I'm one of those -- when they say this, I think the perception around America with all the millions of people is, 'Aw, look at him. Bless his heart. He has cancer. Well, my husband died of cancer! My kids are...' I didn't want that."

"Took me a long time before I told my family," Bradshaw added.

Bradshaw revealed his cancer battle during a segment of "Fox NFL Sunday" on Oct. 2, a week after fans noticed that the analyst appeared to have trouble breathing and needed assistance while breaking down plays from a few games on his show in September.

"Last week on this show, I ran out of breath, and Howie [Long] helped me up. And a lot of people are asking what's wrong with me, what's happened to me physically. I just want to address it and let you know what has happened in my life," Bradshaw said early last month.

"In November, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I went to the Yale University Medical Center -- surgery, treatment. As of today, I am bladder-cancer free. That's the good news," he shared.

However, he was then diagnosed with skin cancer in March. He shared that he had an MRI done because of "a bad neck," and the results showed a tumor in his left neck that was later identified as a Merkel cell tumor.

Bradshaw underwent another surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to address this.

"Folks, I may not look like my old self, but I feel like my old self," he continued. "I'm cancer free, I'm feeling great. And over time, I'm going to be back to where I normally am."

During his "Today" interview, Bradshaw admitted that it was only when he received criticism from fans that he decided to share his health struggles publicly.

"I couldn't breathe," he recalled. "That's when everybody notices. 'What's wrong with him?' Social media went, 'Get rid of him. He needs to be off the air. He's an embarrassment.' And I was like, 'Embarrassment? I got cancer.'"

The Pittsburgh Steelers legend said he was never scared of having cancer because the illness "shows no favoritism."

At the time of his diagnosis, Bradshaw was at peace whatever the outcome. "Well, if I go, I'm OK. If I stay, I'm OK," he said.