Indianapolis Colts Punter Rigoberto Sanchez, 26, Reveals He Has a Cancerous Tumor

NFL's rising star Rigoberto Sanchez recently disclosed the heartbreaking news about his medical condition on Instagram with a powerful message that touched the hearts of his teammates and fans.

Rigoberto Sanchez is a professional football punter for the Indianapolis Colts, a team in the National Football League. The athlete recently revealed on Instagram that he won't be participating in future games due to a cancerous tumor.

On November 30, the athlete announced the heartbreaking news in a touching message alongside a black-and-white picture. The image captured Sanchez gazing upwards and dressed in his No.8 Colts jersey paired with a helmet.

In the post's lengthy caption, the 26-year-old expressed his profound gratitude to his doctors for discovering the tumor early as well as his family, and friends for their unyielding support during this difficult period.

He stated that he was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, December 1, and understood that his recovery won't be "an easy bump on the road" but with his wife's support, he planned to overcome this adversity.

However, the athlete was disappointed that he couldn't play in the 2020-2021 NFL season and expressed it in the conclusion. In his words:

"Makes me sick that I'll have to miss some time playing beside my brothers, but I know they will hold it down."

His teammates flooded his post with heartwarming comments and the Colts also reposted his message on their official Twitter account. Sanchez was born in Chico, California and his football career began in Hamilton High School.

With his achievements, the 26-year-old has the skills to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He earned the First Team All-California Region honors and set a school record with 22 career field goals. While studying sociology at Hawaii, he played for the university's football team, Warriors, for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

During this period, Sanchez received the All-Mountain West honorable mention twice, Hawaii's Special Teams Player of the Year award, and more.

With his achievements, the 26-year-old has the skills to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame but he won't be joining the icons this year as the 25 semifinalists for the class of 2021 have already been chosen.

NFL players like Peyton Manning and Calvin Johnson were chosen for the first time. The list also included stars such as Eric Allen, John Lynch, and Bryant Young.

These 25 athletes will be competing for the top 15 spots, which will be chosen by members of the Hall of Fame board and the winners will be announced in 2021 before the Super Bowl LV begins.