Andrew McDonald is now fighting through something much tougher, and much more serious, than Richie Incognito.
The player identified as “Player A” in the Ted Wells report about the Dolphins bullying scandal has moved onto the Panthers, and is now facing a medical scare.
According to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, McDonald is recovering from surgery to remove testicular cancer last month. The good news is the cancer hasn’t spread.
After noticing a “little bump,” he mentioned it to a team doctor during a physical in May, and he quickly had tests and surgery to remove it.
“It was obviously surprising. Then they scheduled surgery for the next day, so it kind of hits you at once,” McDonald said. “I just kind of made up my mind not to get down, not to let it affect me, as much as I could. Just stay positive, and obviously it’s worked out. Thank God for that.”
That kind of battle makes what he went through with the Dolphins pale in comparison, as he was hazed alongside former teammate Jonathan Martin and subject to generally demeaning behaving from teammates.
“I don’t think I want to get into that, really,” he said when asked if the bullying ever went too far with him.
And considering what he’s working through now, a footnote is all his former teammates deserve to be.