All-Pro Linebacker Robin Cole Faces His Toughest Opponent Yet

For 12 years, Robin Cole faced tough battles on the football field as an All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets. With the Steelers, Robin won Super Bowls XIII and XIV, the two professional accomplishments he is most proud of.

Yet off the field, Cole continues to face his toughest opponent yet. This adversary doesn't go away after four quarters of football and remains an ongoing battle. At the age of 48, Cole was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He continues to fight the disease and is as determined about educating others about the disease as he is battling the disease himself.

Cole was no stranger to prostate cancer. When he was 20 years old, his father died from the disease at the age of 49. After his father's diagnosis, he began to educate himself about the disease; the risks, the chances of survival and what he could do to prevent him from getting it.

"As an athlete, you always try to take care of your body," Cole states. I have tried to eat healthy and make sure I was putting the best things into my body to help me perform at my highest level. To this day, I still take vitamin supplements, drink plenty of bottled water and watch what I eat. The goal is to eat right 70% of the time," he adds.

The reality of prostate cancer is no stranger to Cole as three of his brothers have been diagnosed with the disease as well. As one can imagine, the emotional toll that can take on a person can seem to be unbearable.

"I've been fortunate to have a solid support system around me and that system has been my family. I have leaned on my brothers as much as they have leaned on me and that's been very important to me," he says. "My wife is also a nurse, so I have been exposed to accurate information about my options and recovery," he adds.

Once diagnosed, Cole decided to have surgery to battle the disease. He and his wife consulted the best doctors in the Pittsburgh area and decided that an LRP procedure was the best option for him.

"After my surgery, I was up on my feet that evening," he states. "I experienced minimal discomfort and didn't need to take any pain medication whatsoever, not even an aspirin," he added.

Robin Cole is heavily involved with the Prostate Cancer Education Council's awareness programs and campaigns to educate men about this disease and the chances of surviving it and continuing to lead and full and healthy lifestyle. He serves as the spokesman for their annual PACE Race held each summer in Pittsburgh.

"Nowadays, more men come up to me and ask me about the disease than ever before," he proudly states. "The most important thing I always tell them is to get screened, no matter what, get screened! You can survive this disease just as I have, and you can live 20 or 40 more years or longer if you get the information you need and get checked. I cannot stress that enough," he says.

(Source: PACE 5k Run/Walk)

Posted August 13, 2005

• Mailing Lists and US and worldwide Support Groups for men with prostate cancer and those who care about them
• Links to information about cancer patients rights, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans, Agent Orange, prostate cancer advocacy groups