Houston (AFP) – Win or lose on Sunday, New England Patriots tackle Nate Solder will have no difficulty putting the Super Bowl 51 outcome into its proper perspective.
The 6ft 8in (2.03m) gentle giant of the Patriots offensive line is preparing for a third Super Bowl after a personal journey that has seen him battle back from cancer before his infant son was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease.
Solder, one of the linemen responsible for protecting Patriots star Tom Brady, admits that the trials and tribulations of the past three years allows him to see his day job differently.
“I have a different perspective now because I just know how frail everything we have is, how easily it can be taken away from us and how fortunate we are to be out here every single day,” Solder said.
“The air we breathe is precious and just to be here at this game is phenomenal and is a clear sign that it’s not always what you choose that you get, but you get some amazing things.”
Solder, 28, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in April 2014. He returned to training the following June and played a key part in the Patriots’ team which won the Super Bowl the following season.
Then, in September 2015, he suffered a torn bicep against the Dallas Cowboys, ending his season.
A week later, his baby son Hudson was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer.
“It put a new lens on life for me,” Solder said. “We get caught up in our own personal issues, our own personal pains and sufferings that we forget there are a lot of other people out there that are suffering and we have an opportunity to help those people and not to get lost in our own pain.”
Solder said his son’s condition has since stabilized.
“He’s doing well,” he said. “He still has cancer tumors in his kidney but they just removed his (chemotherapy) port because they’re not growing.”
Solder is now focused on the task awaiting him against the Atlanta Falcons, where he will attempt to shield Brady in order to allow the Patriots quarterback to work his magic in offense.
Brady, meanwhile, speaks of Solder in glowing terms, describing the lineman as an inspirational figure in the New England locker room.
“As great a player as Nate is, he’s a better human being, father and husband,” Brady said Tuesday.
“He’s just a person of the highest character. He brings it every day. He has showed a lot of mental toughness with what he’s gone through in his life. Someone like Nate is an inspiration for us because it makes you realize that whatever you’re going through, it ain’t as tough as that.”
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