Updated

For just a moment, former Denver Broncos standout Austin "Goose" Gonsoulin didn't think about the open-heart surgery he underwent a few weeks ago or the cancer that has spread throughout his body.

For a brief instant, the American Football League All Star almost felt like a safety again, transported back to a time when he used to make interceptions like this.

The 74-year-old Gonsoulin had just woken from a nap on the couch when he caught a flash across his television screen: Denver cornerback Chris Harris stepping in front of a pass and racing down the sideline for a 98-yard touchdown against Baltimore last Sunday.

Gonsoulin vividly remembers that feeling.

He gawked at each step, his chest hurting from sitting up so suddenly and his heart thumping with enthusiasm.