INDIANAPOLIS – Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez has gone from not knowing his NFL future to days away from playing less than three weeks after a cancerous tumor was removed.
Sanchez will resume handling punter and kickoff lights in Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, coach Frank Reich said Friday.
“Great training staff, working with great doctors and men who are grown,” said Reich. “Those three things are all important, and we’re lucky to have the people we do.”
Sanchez, who declined to say what type of cancer he was dealing with, noticed something was off during a few dry swings before starting practice on Nov. 25. An ultrasound and MRI revealed a tumor. Sanchez still played, albeit punting only, in the November 29 loss to the Tennessee before undergoing surgery on December 1.
“I was not doing that to my team,” said Sanchez earlier this week. “It’s all about the team. At the end of the day, I don’t think they could have gotten a punt in time, and it wouldn’t get worse. That was the worst scenario. I would fight through the pain,” whatever it was. ‘
Sanchez said doctors have told him things look “pretty good” and his “numbers are definitely lower.” He returned to the facility and rehearsed this week.
“I’m lucky to be able to move around all the time and use my body in all kinds of ways,” said Sanchez. “It’s crazy because I think [Reich] said if I was doing some kind of desk work I might not have noticed right away. I am lucky that I am young and can do what I do, which is playing football here. I was just lucky enough to catch it in time, and then the doctors took charge and I just followed. I’m just grateful they noticed early on. “