Some people go to great lengths to keep their cancer a secret, which is not easy to do. In fact for many patients, it’s impossible. The disease and side effects from treatment can be debilitating — or, at the very least, physically apparent. Bob McNair, owner of the NFL Houston Texans, opted to remain private about his illness and to continue working. It seems he didn’t want others to be distracted by the news either. So he went for treatments under an assumed name and secured permission to enter the cancer center through the back door, so no one would see him.

But as writer Kevin Patra points out, even though McNair was able to keep things under wraps during 10 months of treatment, he eventually “knew there were some rumors,” which is one of the reasons why he decided to go public about it last week. McNair also wanted people to know that now that “he’s kicked the cancer,” he “is focused on the Texans raising a Lombardi Trophy.” For the franchise owner, working post-treatment means he “plans to attend every home and away game this season.” For the full article, click here. For stories of other sports figures balancing their career and cancer, read our latest blog entry.