Son's battle with cancer gives Patriots' Nate Solder new perspective
HOUSTON — Nate Solder is all about strength and physicality, traits he uses to good effect with a single goal in mind — protecting Tom Brady.
Yet there have been times this season when the New England Patriots left tackle has had to take time off to look after someone more important.
Solder, a 6-8 giant out of the University of Colorado, saw his life turned upside down in 2015 when his baby son Hudson, then three months old and now 18 months old, was diagnosed with Wilms tumors, a rare form of pediatric cancer.
The ensuing period has been, says Solder, far more challenging than anything he has faced in a football career that will see him appear in a third Super Bowl on Sunday.
“I have a different perspective now because I know how frail everything is, how easily it can be taken away from us,” Solder said. “The air we breathe is precious. To be at this game is a sign that you aren’t always able to choose what you get but you get some amazing things in life.
“I have a priority set — my family is at the top of that and, when it is squared away, football falls in line.”
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Hudson is doing better, according to Solder, but there are still serious challenges ahead for him, and for Solder and his wife Lexi. Hudson’s chemotherapy portal was recently removed because, while tumors remain on his kidneys, they have stopped growing and he is now in a monitoring phase.
Hudson’s diagnosis came early in the 2015 season, just a week after Solder suffered a season-ending biceps injury and a year after the player had battled testicular cancer.
“If you would have seen us at the time (of Hudson’s diagnosis), there was a lot of bewilderment. We didn’t feel like we belonged where we were,” Solder said. “We were in denial about the whole situation. There was plenty of crying, plenty of tears. You don’t think straight. I thought that I had somehow screwed up this poor innocent child, and that I had somehow messed up.”
Solder is a popular and respected figure in the locker room, and coach Bill Belichick told the 28-year-old to put his family first.
“Nate is just someone of the highest character,” Belichick said. “We all respect Nate for what he has done with Hudson, how he is always there for him. We understand there are times he has to miss something.”
Solder has used his status as an NFL player to try to benefit others in a similar position. Because the number of cases of childhood cancer are relatively low, the disease often struggles for a lack of recognition and funding, despite the devastation and heartbreak it causes.
Through his work with the Jimmy Fund, a charity that supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Solder was moved by some of the children and parents he has met. One that resonated strongest was the case of Christian Lopez, a 13-year-old then suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma and a devout Patriots fan.
Lopez, an energetic youngster with an infectious smile, became close to Solder through Jimmy Fund events and went to watch a Patriots game last season with seats at the 50-yard line. In June, Lopez and other child cancer sufferers were visited by a group of Patriots including Solder and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Two months later, Lopez lost his fight against cancer, and Solder honored him by wearing his name on his cleats.
Lopez’s mother, Christina Ribiero, told USA TODAY Sports by telephone how meeting Solder had added special meaning to her son's final weeks.
“Christian was a fighter, and he already loved the Patriots even before meeting Nate,” Ribiero said. “It gave him such a lift, and he looked up to him so much. Hearing that he remembers Christian and thinks of him fills my heart with happiness, and it will add even more meaning to the Super Bowl for us.”
Solder started every game this season and is widely regarded as one of the better tackles in the league, with outstanding footwork and technique.
However, he insisted his personal tribulations have given him a fresh outlook on life, one that will forever prevent him from taking football success for granted.
“We saw so many other families who were going through as tough a situation or much tougher situations,” Solder said. “It opened our eyes to a whole world of suffering that we were not aware of. Often times you get caught up in your own pain and suffering and issues, now we have a new lens on life.
“Kids like Christian — he is one guy who sits on my heart. There is nothing that can replace a child. My heart goes out to all the families that are fighting this battle. It is so scary and so difficult. It makes you appreciate weeks like this and how fortunate we are.”
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