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Jordan Raanan
East Rutherford, NJ — New York Giants Defensive line coach Andre Patterson was battling prostate cancer this season, the veteran assistant told ESPN.
Patterson was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and several players said they learned about it in the spring. He remained with the team during treatment.
The longtime assistant told ESPN he is feeling better and has a positive outlook. Patterson said he was willing to go public with his illness because he wanted to promote awareness of prostate cancer and the need for early detection.
“Make sure you get tested,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It is usually detected early and often grows slowly. According to the Mayo Clinic website, most people with prostate cancer are cured.
Patterson, 65, is in his 21st season as a defensive line coach in the NFL. he has recently been with minnesota vikings And giants. He came to New York in 2022 with former head coach Brian Daboll.
Patterson suffered a separate medical problem three years ago that required him to spend several days in the intensive care unit. Upon returning to the team, he coached on a scooter for several months.
He refused to take leave after being diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year. Former assistant defensive line coach Brian Cox accomplished this a few times when necessary.
It was Patterson’s decision to continue treatment.
“I think we give him life,” the veteran defensive lineman said. dexter lawrence ii Said. “Obviously it’s not an easy thing to go through, but I think we give him life and he enjoys coming to us and helping us get better.”
It’s been a tough season from start to finish for Patterson and the Giants defensive line. The conflict extended beyond Patterson, on and off the field. Cox was fired earlier this month.
But Patterson recently explained how he has handled some of the obstacles and passed it on to his players.
“There’s a lot going on in life,” he said. “Learning those things as a young man will help them grow as they deal with other things that happen to all of us on the journey of life. So that’s how I approach it. I tell my guys all the time, if I just teach you how to be a good football player, I’m cheating you. I’ve got to help you on the journey of life. So we talk a lot about other things besides football because that’s my job. They also have to prepare for what life will give them when they are no longer football players.”
Some players and team personnel were also not aware of Patterson’s recent medical struggles. The defensive line knew.
He found nothing unusual in the way he coached and was happy to see Patterson back to his usual self.
Defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris said, “Oh, it’s great, man. No degradation. So he’s still the same guy.” “If he hadn’t told us anything, we wouldn’t have known what kind of a man he is. There are no exemptions. Like I said, he’s the same kind of man every day.
“If he had never told us anything, we wouldn’t have known anything. We wouldn’t be able to tell.”
Patterson isn’t the only veteran battling cancer this year. Owner John Mara revealed in September that he was battling unspecified cancer.
