An NFL Coach Defends Against Skin Cancer

Image © Tom Szczerbowsk

The NFL season is upon us once again. It’s also my husband and co-founder’s favorite time of year. With the NFL season comes a lot of time out in the sun for players and coaches. Just like us, they need to be mindful of sun damage. In fact, one big time coach learned the hard way about the importance of sun protection when one of his mentors passed from skin cancer.

Buffalo Bill’s Head Coach Cares About Sun Protection

Sean McDermott, the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, is an avid sun protection advocate. He recently took part in the Skin Cancer Foundation’s #ThisIsSkinCancer campaign to share his story.

For Sean, he has many reasons to care about skin cancer - as an NFL coach he’s outside on the practice field with his team constantly during the season. As Sean expertly explains:

“My job entails being outside on the practice field with the team…Because of that, I feel like I’m exposed to the sun even more than normal. I want to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to protect myself.”

Additionally he’s fair-skinned and recently one of his mentors lost his battle with melanoma. Actually his mentor was another NFL coach…

“One of my biggest mentors in the NFL was Jim Johnson, the legendary defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles…To see a man struck down in such a short amount of time by skin cancer sent a message to me that, hey – I better pay attention.”

How Does the Bill’s Head Coach Protect Himself?

Sean definitely cares about his skin and his health. In fact, he already had a few types of skin cancer before he got serious about sun protection. That’s why he now follows these important steps to protect himself:

1. Every morning he puts on sunscreen. It’s part of his daily routine.
2. He checks his skin regularly. Because Sean has had to manage squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas – types of skin cancer - he performs daily skin checks and regularly visits the dermatologist.
3. He wears sun protective clothing. In addition to long-sleeved shirts, pants, wide brimmed hats, and sunglasses, Sean wears a lot of clothing that is UPF / sun protection rated.
4. 4. He’s also aware of incidental sun exposure. Sean knows that sun exposure is an issue anytime you step outside – not just when you're in the sun for hours. He makes sure to protect himself when he’s out running errands or walking to his parking spot.

Go Sean and I hope the Bills have a great season!

Suncare Smarts

I always love it when someone famous and with a platform promotes sun protection. It’s such an essential life habit to do every day. It’s pretty simple too.

For even more skin and sun care lifestyle tips check out our Suncare Smarts series.