From time to time you'll hear talk of the indomitable nature of the human spirit.
In relation to sports, it's often mentioned by a bloviating, hyperbolic broadcaster as a player battles through a stretch of bad performances or a seemingly continuous sequence of difficult in-game occurrences.
Rarely though, do fans get to see the real power of the human spirit, of the will and drive to succeed no matter the situation or circumstances, played out in a manner that truly shows humanities ability to overcome any obstacle, defeat any foe.
Nate Solder, unbeknownst to NFL or New England Patriots fans, was just such a shining example of the true power and strength of the human spirit last season.
"I knew nothing about it. It was a complete surprise," said Solder, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer prior to the 2014 NFL season, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. "You Google something like that and it kind of scares you, so I was like, 'I'm not going to freak out about this.' Had I not had a routine physical, I probably wouldn't have checked it, saying, 'Oh, it's just in my head, I'm going to be fine.'"
Solder revealed to Reiss that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in April 2014, underwent surgery to remove the testicle - doctors determined that the cancer was restricted to one testicle and hadn't spread - and returned to play every game of the season, including Super Bowl XLIX - from which the Patriots emerged victorious - as quarterback Tom Brady's blindside protector.
The 27-year-old Solder lauded the Patriots for their patience throughout the process and said that he came forward now in hopes of spreading awareness about the issue.
"I was completely healthy, I'm a professional athlete. It can happen to anybody," he said. "Make sure you get yourself checked out, especially young men, because that's who it's really targeted toward."
Solder, per Reiss, has no history of testicular cancer in his family.
