Bills Coach Sean McDermott Details Skin Cancer Battle
In this story:
Buffalo Bills’ coach Sean McDermott is no stranger to overcoming adversity.
Since taking the reins of the franchise in 2017, McDermott’s head coaching tenure has reversed the fortunes of a franchise which had been largely unsuccessful for the past two decades.
In his first season, he led the Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999, ending the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports. During the 2020 season, McDermott not only helped the Bills clinch the AFC East, but also win their first playoff game since 1995, en route to their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 1993. In 2021, he led the Bills to consecutive division titles for the first time since 1991.
Still, for as tenacious of a competitor he is on the sidelines, McDermott’s toughest opponent is one with which he does battle each and every day.
In a recent interview with WIVB News 4 Buffalo, the 48-year-old Bills’ coach detailed his ongoing battle against skin cancer, as well as the precautions he must take on a daily basis to prevent melanoma.
“It runs in my family, I’ve lost loved ones to it — Jim Johnson. My grandfather battled with skin cancer as well; lost part of his lip years ago. And so the fight has become for me — personal, because of that. But now, it’s a daily thing in terms of my job being primarily outside, at least 50% of it, so if I don’t (wear sun-protective clothing, long pants, hat, and sunblock) — I probably won’t be around much longer.”
Though some of his concern stems from heredity, McDermott has waged his own personal battle with the dreaded disease. Just last year, he penned a personal essay for NBC, detailing his fight with skin cancer.
“I’ve had squamous cell carcinoma several times. As late as last year during the season, I had three spots on the top of my head,” McDermott wrote. While he has admittedly lost track of the amount of spots he has had removed from his arms, hands, or legs, over the years, he does acknowledge that the measures he takes to stay healthy have helped him leave the doctor’s office with good news more of rent.
“It’s a small victory when I go to the dermatologist and I don’t have to have one biopsied — just frozen off with cryotherapy,” McDermott said.
In December 2020, McDermott joined the “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign, designing a pair with artist Thomas O’Brien, in which the initials “JJ” for Johnson were printed on one shoe, and “RR” for Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera [with whom McDermott worked on the Carolina Panthers staff, and also continues to battle with squamous cell carcinoma] on the other.
In his continued efforts to raise awareness for both screening and prevention, McDermott recently partnered with The Skin Cancer Foundation as an advocate for early detection. As such, he only uses SPF 50 and above, and performs self-examinations of his skin daily, at the very least.
“As a fair-skinned person, “sometimes I have to look harder because a freckle might actually be a possible skin cancer issue.”
With training camp set to begin at the end of July, McDermott will be seen imparting knowledge to a roster which is among the early favorites to qualify for a Super Bowl berth. He will also be sporting a hat, long sleeves and plenty of sunscreen applied to all areas on his body exposed to the sun. Though his battle on the field against the best of both conferences pales in comparison to that of his health, the Bills coach knows that precaution, practice and performance will lead to success in all aspects of his career, as well as his life.
