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Patriots Nate Solder Treated For Testicular Cancer In 2014

BOSTON (CBS) -- Last year was much more than a Super Bowl winning season for Patriots left tackle Nate Solder.

In an interview with ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss, the 27-year-old revealed that he was treated for testicular cancer last April. Solder mentioned during his physical with the team that he felt something around his testicle, leading the Patriots' medical staff to order an ultrasound. Three days later, Solder underwent surgery to remove one of his testicles.

With April being National Testicular Cancer Awareness month, Solder is sharing his story in the hopes of helping others.

"I knew nothing about it. It was a complete surprise," Solder told Reiss. "You Google something like that and it kind of scares you, so I was like, 'I'm not going to freak out about this.' Had I not had a routine physical, I probably wouldn't have checked it, saying, 'Oh, it's just in my head, I'm going to be fine.'"

Solder rested for two weeks following surgery, missing some of the voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), but was back on the field by the end of OTAs in June. He and his wife, Lexi, were married three weeks after his initial diagnosis.

Solder went on the play all 16 games last season, helping protect Tom Brady's blind side all the way to a Super Bowl victory.

Entering his fifth NFL season, Solder still has checkups every three months at Mass General. He is optimistic going forward, and now wants everyone to know the importance of early detection.

"The biggest thing is letting people know and giving them the information. And maybe giving people some courage that if they are in a situation like I was, maybe they would go and say something, and that could make a difference," he said.

"It's more common than people realize. A lot of people are either afraid to do it, or they don't think it's important enough to get it checked. It's a simple check. Six months, a year, and then it starts spreading and then you start to feel symptoms and it's a more serious situation. So that's a big thing; you can save lives with early detection."

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