In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the National Football League has done a number of public service activities and announcements to increase awareness of this fatal disease.

Recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers produced a video about linebacker Adam Hayward, honoring his mother Pauline. Hayward, a Portland State Viking in 2005-06, was a sixth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2007 and is now in his fourth season in the NFL.

In the video, Hayward remembers his mother, lost to cancer in 2004, and how her memory inspired him to return to football after leaving the game while playing at Colorado State.

Hayward transferred to Portland State in 2005, and in 2006 he was the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year on the league's top defense. Hayward led the Vikings with 104 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Hayward was a consensus first team All-American and finished fourth in the Buck Buchanan balloting for the National Defensive Player of the Year.

Here is Adam's story.