Getting real about cancer

If there’s one thing football players are known for besides their athletic prowess, it’s their strict workout regimens. For former UD football captain Elverage “Sonny” Allen ’72, even after his football days were behind him, he maintained a rigorous workout schedule and even had a gym put into his home.

He was in top physical shape when, after a routine physical in 2020, his doctor diagnosed him with prostate cancer. Allen was in disbelief.

“You’re trying to figure out all the reasons why, you know, this can’t be,” he said.

Though he successfully had the cancer removed through surgery, he said it took a lot more than physical strength to get through the experience.

“One of the things that I learned from being an athlete is that your mental attitude is your most important and useful asset,” Allen said. “Harnessed with a strong spiritual life and belief in God, you can get through pretty much anything.”

“Harnessed with a strong spiritual life and belief in God, you can get through pretty much anything.”

After a talk with his wife, Shay, Allen decided to turn his journey into an opportunity to educate, launching the podcast Prostate Cancer Real Talk. 

“Black men are twice as likely to get prostate cancer and are 50% more likely to die from it,” he said. He hopes the podcast will encourage other Black men to get screened early.

“Regular screening and early detection most likely saved my life,” Allen said. Their daily viewership on YouTube is 2,000 and growing.

The popularity of his platform has helped Allen see the overwhelming disparity in health care equity among the Black population, and he’s now working on another podcast, Black Health Real Talk, completely devoted to the health of the Black community. 

Listen to Allen's podcast, "Prostate Cancer Real Talk" or visit prostatecancerrealtalk.com.