A Solder Story

Nate Solder is a stand-up guy.  So much so that no one needs to waste ink informing him how much of a disappointment his first two seasons as the left tackle for the New York Giants were.  He knows it.  He has never been a person who shies away from accepting responsibility or who hides when the going gets tough.  Truthfully, at 6'8" and 300+ pounds, where would one hide?  Behind Shaquille O'Neal perhaps.

I have been a Nate Solder fan since he played for our mutual Alma mater, which he did at an extraordinarily high level.   I have little doubt how much he was looking forward to playing this season for the Giants new head coach, Joe Judge, with whom he worked in New England, and making his third season as part of "Big Blue" his best one.  

He shall not. 

If you know anything of Nate Solder's story (a survivor of testicular cancer) and of Nate and Lexi's story with their little boy Hudson (who at age five has battled an insidious form of cancer his entire life), then it likely came as no surprise that a few days ago, Nate Solder announced that he is opting out of playing football this season.

Nate Solder's contract called for the Giants to pay him $9.9 Million, slightly less than one-third of which he received as a "Roster Bonus" on or about March 18, 2020.  He will not, of course, be paid the remaining $6 Million.  Instead, he will receive a stipend expected to be $350,000.00.  As he pointed out in the statement announcing his decision, "being able to make a decision like this is a privilege." 

Nevertheless, it is still a laudable decision. I applaud him for making it.  In the zeal to "return to normal", to play professional and collegiate sports, and to establish sports firmly as the opiate for the masses, we need to remember that the men and women, the boys and girls, wearing the uniform of our favorite team are themselves spouses, parents, and children. Each has a family dependent upon him or her, whether solely or in part, which family is affected and impacted by that athlete's decision.  

This fall, I shall not be able to root for Nate Solder on the field. I shall, however, be able to root for him, for Lexi, for Hudson, and for the entire Solder family. 

I shall do so.  

-AK