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Greg Papa, The Gregarious One, is eternally grateful for the thousands of heartfelt text messages, phone calls and get-well-soon videos he has received in the year since his B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis.
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He fought for his life. He wasn’t alone in doing so.
Friends and strangers from the Bay Area sports community and beyond reached out to support the 49ers’ radio voice, who has called Warriors, A’s, Raiders and Giants games over his four-decade run in the region.
The following, in true Papa fashion, are sound bites while he name-drops the well-wishes from his circle – his halo — of supporters:
49ERS VOICES
On John Lynch, 49ers general manager: “Texts me all the time. He called me driving home from the game when Nick Bosa got hurt. We had such a nice conversation. John is such a quality man.”
On Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach: “Kyle and I text often to offer support. He’s been extremely generous. Obviously with his ordeal (a July 14 car crash), I reached out to him. With a situation like this, your relationship changes and brings you together in a different way. The mentality is there, ‘We got your back,’ and they clearly do.”
On Dr. John York, ownership: “Has texted me many, many times.”
On Eddie DeBartolo, former owner. “Sent me a beautiful email.”
On Tim Ryan, broadcast partner: “Texts and calls every week. Keeps me updated on the squad as only he can. … He is the best analyst of football in my opinion. I listen to them all. Nobody analyzes interior line play like him on first look. That’s hard.”
On Ted Robinson, his predecessor: “The very first preseason game I missed last year against Denver, that was emotional for me, and he just sent a text: ‘I know what you’re going through, not being able to be in a place you should be at.’ It just summed up my emotions incredibly.”
On Trent Williams, left tackle: “Because of our shared cancer commonality, he’s the one that could really touch my heart. Sometimes you need mentors, like ‘If he overcame, I can overcome it.’ Trent’s been an amazing supporter.”
RAIDERS VOICES
On Mark Davis, team owner: “He offered me right away to come to Vegas and light Al’s torch whenever I was able. You know, ‘Once a Raider, always a Raider.’ So he welcomed me back in the family. He’d call me a lot. One time he was FaceTiming me before a Monday night game, but I had a lumbar puncture in my back, so I couldn’t quite answer the phone at the moment. He texted me just two nights ago. It’s amazing. Our parting there was not good, but this whole thing has brought me back in the Raider family to some degree and I feel the love from them.”
On JT The Brick, sports-talk radio host: “JT’s constantly texting me, lifting me up, encouraging me, and talking to Raider Nation about me, giving them updates.”
On Bruce Allen, former GM: “Sent me a beautiful text about six weeks ago, and I haven’t spoken to Bruce since he left and went to Washington. I’ve seen him but we haven’t gone back and forth like this.”
This past Saturday, Papa noted he had a long text exchange with another former Raiders executive, Michael Lombardi.
WARRIORS VOICES
On Garry St. Jean, former GM and coach: “The Saintly One, constantly with his PMA — positive mental attitude. As long as you have a positive mental outlook on life, you’ll get through it. He’s right, the mind can help heal the body. Saint was a driving force through all of it.”
On Tom Abdenour, former athletic trainer: “He obviously has a medical background, so I solicited a lot of thought. … Tommy set up this Warriors text chain with Mully, Mitch, Hardaway, Rod Higgins, Tolbert, Julie Marvel, Saint. There are so many on there. Periodically, Tommy would give them an update on what’s going on with me.”
On Sleepy Floyd, former point guard: “Before the anniversary of his great game against the Lakers on Mother’s Day, May 10 (1987), we had a beautiful exchange.” (One of Papa’s most famous calls was “Sleepy Floyd is Superman” during a 29-point fourth quarter and 51-point haul in a playoff win over the Lakers.)
On Steve Kerr, four-time champion coach: “He came right out initially and offered me great support.”
On Ron Adams, longtime assistant coach: “It’s all just genuine heart and really struck home on a personal level. Great respect for him as a coach in his career. Instrumental in this Warriors’ dynastic run, but he’s such a good human being, an incredible person, and his constant love has meant a lot to me.”
On Bob Fitzgerald, Papa’s successor: “Fitz and I have been cool a long time. He’s been a consistent supporter, which … considering our (previous) relationship, but that was years ago. I told him I don’t have time to hate. I love everybody. For years, I’ve been telling him that.”
GIANTS VOICES
Papa reels off Giants-related names as if he’s reading a lineup card of those who constantly are in contact: Rich Aurilia, F.P Santangelo, Bill Laskey, Tim Flannery and, of course, the quartet of Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Duane Kuiper and the soon-to-retire Mike Krukow.
Flannery sent Papa a video while strolling through 24 Willie Mays Plaza, crooning: “Now that I look at you from a different point of view at a different time of life, you teach us all so much every day about so much, about grace, about love, about love. I’m praying for you. You’ve done things for me that are unbelievable and I can’t wait to hug on you!”
Papa on Miller: “He’s such a jewel. He sent me a text how he was in awe of my ability to do studio shows. I used to do a show called Chronicle Live and he said, ‘I was in of your ability on that show and your ability on KNBR.’ “
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On Marty Lurie, broadcaster: “Marty is my consigliere. We watch Giants games together – not together, but go back and forth like we’re broadcasting the game with observations. … We’ve had two or three-hour text exchanges just watching baseball.”
On Krukow: “He’s the best baseball analyst there’s ever been, national or local. He was legitimately funny in an unforced way that the game and the pictures presented to him. No one taught you more about all aspects of the game, not just pitching, but everything. That’s what I tried to do. … He had a special bond with Duane and the Bay Area, so much love and respect for each other. Not often do you get to work with your best friend for that many hours.”
A’S VOICES
On Johnny Doskow: “I had him on my radio show when he was doing River Cats games. I never met the man. He would send me video messages of him walking on the beach in Santa Monica or outside of a stadium, just a two-minute uplifting message. Wow, I’d never met this man, and to take time out to reach me in that way was incredible.”
On Ken Korach: “We had a nice exchange recently.”
A text from Bip Roberts: “I know you’re fighting for your life, and I want you to remember that you are not fighting alone. I’m standing with you in faith, believing for better days, renewed strength, peace, and healing. Please keep holding on and taking it one day at a time.”
On Dennis Eckersley: “Eck has reached out often.”
SYRACUSE CLASSMATES
A 4-minute, 16-second video features eight Syracuse-bred broadcasters pausing their lives to inspire Papa’s.
There’s McDonough in a church. NBC ace Mike Tirico chimes in: “I know you’ve got this. Love you, brother.” West Virginia University voice Tony Caridi adds: “We are strong as one behind you.”
A blessing in disguise of Papa’s health crisis: reconnecting with his fellow Orange graduates (Class of 1984). A year ago, he was inducted via Zoom into the student radio station’s WAER Hall of Fame. He served two years as sports director there before joining the pro ranks at age 21 to call Indiana Pacers games in the NBA.
This spring, when he couldn’t be in North Carolina to accept his 2025 California Sportscaster of the Year award, a get-well video was sent his way by a trio of Orangemen.
On Sean McDonough, ESPN play-by-play man: “We were not only classmates but sixth-floor roommates. We did Triple-A baseball together for two years. He texts me virtually every day. When he was doing the Stanley Cup playoffs, he would send me pictures from various churches all across the country wherever he was, nonstop.”
On Marv Albert, longtime NBA broadcaster: “One of the most amazing ones I got was from Marv Albert, saying how much he admired my versatility over the years and how I did every sport with excellence. I was like, ‘Whoa,’ because Marv was the man as far as versatility. … That’s the whole reason we went to Syracuse. We all wanted to be the next Marv Albert. So when I got that from Marv, it was unbelievable.”
A text from Dan Huard, Bengals voice and SU classmate: “In this sport we’re around a bunch of really tough people every day. But nobody is tougher than our friend in San Francisco. Love ya Greg! You’re an inspiration to many.”
MEDIA VOICES
A text thread among NFL play-by-play radio announcers is Papa’s pipeline to such colleagues as Paul Allen (Vikings), J.B. Long (Rams), Steve Raible (Seahawks), Dave Pasch (Cardinals) and Chris Brown (Bills). More messages stream in from those on the national-broadcast circuit, including Kevin Harlan and Mike Pereira.
Brown proved “instrumental” in the Bills sending the Papa family four seats they used to sit in (20-yard line, visitors’ side) upon replacing Ralph Wilson Stadium with a new venue this year. Papa’s sister, Judy, has them at her house, but he wants two shipped to his home as another NFL season begins anew.
On Chris Myers, Fox Sports: “Checks in all the time and wishes me well. I give him crap because he is going to miss the Bucs preseason and Jon Gruden is going to do play-by-play. He could be Wally Pipped.”
On Carmichael Dave, Sactown Sports 1140 host: “He’s texted me nonstop support and love, asking, ‘What can I do?’ Everybody asks. My answer was, ‘Find me two good lungs.’ That’s all I need.”
A text from Merrill Reese, Philadelphia Eagles voice: “Greg, you’re tougher to tackle than Christian McCaffrey!”
NEW VOICES
South Florida broadcaster and Syracuse product Craig Minervini put Papa in touch with a dentist, Dirk Fleischman, who was diagnosed with the same type of leukemia as Papa 2 ½ years ago.
On Fleischman: “First time we talked on the phone, we talked 11 different times that day, all about chemotherapy and this and that. He gave me the advice of someone who’d gone through it. When it got hairy and I was clinging to my life, he was a great support system. I never met the guy. There are a lot of people that reached out to me that I never knew before.”
The David Benzer Strike Out Fear Foundation, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit, has established a GoFundMe campaign to help ease the financial burden of Papa’s long recovery period. Funds will be used to assist with everyday living expenses while Papa is unable to work, as well as medical out-of-pocket expenses not fully covered by insurance, including medical co-pays, uncovered medications and home healthcare. Those who wish to support Papa can visit: support.strikeoutfear.org/helpgregpapabeatcancer
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 8:05 AM.