Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera has been adamant about coaching through his cancer treatment and this week he opened up about the struggles he’s faced and his plans for the rest of the season going forward.
Rivera, 58, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma back in August, and aside from a few missed practices, he’s been on the sidelines doing what he does best.
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"It's who I am," Rivera said Monday on "Good Morning America." "Listening to the doctors talking about how important it is to try and do as much of the routine as possible, but they also tell you, 'Hey, be careful, listen to your body.' And also, there's other people watching me, so I'm just trying to set the example."
Rivera was present during Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and the toll that his treatments have had on him was apparent throughout the game.
According to The Washington Post, Rivera has been undergoing treatments five times a week. He was slow to walk to the locker room during halftime and was seen sitting on the bench during TV timeouts.
He also received fluid before the game to help keep hydrated.
“It’s a struggle,” Rivera said, according to The Post. “It’s a battle.”
Rivera told reporters during a Zoom press conference after the game that some days are better than others.
“I have my moments where I felt pretty strong and felt good enough to go get up and walk up and down the sidelines. There were other times I waned a little bit.”
The coach has seen an outpouring of support from his team and the whole NFL community. The players wore “Rivera Strong” shirts during warmups and there were about 400 cardboard cutouts of his supporters sitting in the “Coach’s Corner.”
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Rivera said during his interview Monday that he has three more weeks of treatment left and he intends to continue coaching through it all.
"I'm looking forward to it," Rivera said. "As [ESPN anchor] Stuart Scott said, I have it; it doesn't have me. And it's not how far I have to go, but it's how far I've gone."