What is ulcerative colitis? Disease 'kicked my butt,' Hunter Renfrow says
Hunter Renfrow didn't play in the 2024 NFL season after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran receiver revealed why after signing with the Carolina Panthers for the 2025 campaign.
Renfrow spent the 2024 season dealing with complications from an ulcerative colitis diagnosis. The autoimmune disease left the 29-year-old feeling lethargic as he battled high fevers and significant weight loss.
"It kicked my butt pretty good," Renfrow told Panthers.com of his battle with the disease. "Last year, I fluctuated in weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers."
Given his struggles with the condition, Renfrow made the difficult decision to stay sidelined during his age-29 season.
"It's tough to play when you're not feeling great," he explained.
As such, Renfrow shifted his focus toward treating his ulcerative colitis. He consulted with doctors to help get the condition under control. He successfully did that and has reaped the rewards, gaining back the weight he has lost and feeling more energetic.
The 2022 Pro Bowler also spent time contemplating whether he would return to the NFL. He wanted to make sure he was "all in" before deciding to mount a comeback, especially after he "enjoyed other parts of life" during his year away from the game.
By January, Renfrow knew he wanted to return to football and play a sixth NFL season. He's got the opportunity to do that by playing for the Panthers, nearby where he grew up in Myrtle Beach and went to college as a walk-on at Clemson.
"I figured if I was going to get in good shape, I might as well do something I love while doing it," he said. "I've been healthy my whole life, and I've never had any problems and haven't broken too many bones. I'm thankful because, through football, I've not had a ton of injuries.
"So, to go through that and then come out the other side, I'm just thankful, and I feel like I have a new opportunity."
What is ulcerative colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of the autoimmune variety, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). The disease causes an "abnormal reaction of the immune system," which causes inflammation and ulcers to develop on the inner lining of the large intestine and rectum.
Ulcerative colitis symptoms vary from patient to patient but can include the following, per the Mayo Clinic:
- Diarrhea, often with blood or pus
- Rectal bleeding – passing a small amount of blood with stool
- Belly pain and cramping
- Rectal pain
- Urgency to pass stool
- Not being able to pass stool despite urgency
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Fever
- In children, failure to grow
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis typically begin to present themselves between ages 15 and 30. Doctors prescribe medications meant to reduce inflammation as a means of combatting the disease.