Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez revealed to the world Monday he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor and will undergo surgery on Tuesday to have it removed.
It came as a major shock to all, especially considering he played in the Week 12 game against the Tennessee Titans just a day prior—and he played well.
In speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Frank Reich gave a statement filled with praise and love for the 26-year-old punter. Here’s what he said:
“Just to start off, just a word about Rigo (Rigoberto Sanchez) and obviously the news that he put out there for everyone that you saw today – that Rigo is going to have an operation tomorrow to remove a cancerous tumor. We learned of his diagnosis last week and we’re just thankful that they caught it before it spread. We talk often about the culture in our building, the character and the makeup of the players on this team. Most, if not all of you, know Rigo and the kind of person he is. He is one of the most well-liked and respected players in our building. So, I just want to reiterate how fortunate we are to have him as a leader, a teammate and a friend. To further show the type of teammate he is, obviously he received the information late in the week – there was discussion on whether or not he would play or not play. You just have to know Rigo to know there was no way he was going to let the team down. So he consulted with the doctors and decided to play in the game and then played great – just a true competitor. So we know that is how he is going to handle this off the field. We have no doubt that he will overcome this. Obviously, we’re very optimistic about the prognosis and about the timetable to get back. We don’t want to put any date on a timetable, but we’re very optimistic and knowing Rigo, God willing it will be sooner rather than later but we just have to take that, see how the procedure goes and everything there. We love Rigo, we’re here supporting him and just praying for a speedy recovery.”
Sanchez is tied to the Colts through the 2023 season after signing a contract extension with the team during the 2019 offseason. He has been a Pro-Bowl caliber punter and seemed to be heading that way this season. However, those dreams won’t be realized in 2020 as Sanchez is likely to miss the remainder of the season.
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