Healthy Solder glad to get back to football

FOXBORO — You could just see the joy in his eyes.

Yesterday, after Nate Solder’s first practice with the Patriots since tearing his biceps in Week 5 last year against the Cowboys, the left tackle playfully lifted his 1-year-old son, Hudson, in the air, loving every second he got to spend with him.

It’s easy to see why. Born last July, Hudson was diagnosed with cancer, a Wilms’ tumor in his kidneys, just a month before Solder’s injury. Solder had beaten testicular cancer in 2014. You could fairly say he’s been through more than his fair share of medical trauma over the past two years.

But after training camp practice behind Gillette Stadium yesterday, those issues seemed to be in the past.

“I am so excited to be out here,” Solder said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to play and everything, so I’m really excited about that. My son’s doing awesome. Treatments are going well, and we’ve been getting so many prayers and messages from so many people. We just appreciate it so, so much.”

It had been so long since Solder practiced with the team, that even something as basic as a non-padded training camp practice seemed to inject enthusiasm.

“This whole camp I’m excited for,” he said. “And I don’t know if I could have said that every camp, but I am excited for this camp. I’m excited for the things we can improve on, the things we need to improve on. We always take a lot of pride in what we do and we have a huge responsibility in this season. So we’ve got to work one day at a time, don’t take anything for granted, just get better and better.”

With the emotional toll Solder has had to endure over the issues with his son, he said the escape football provides has been helpful.

“You know what, I had a lot on my mind,” he said. “But the truth is, I would come in and I would talk about football and it was kind of a break from what was going on in our personal lives. To be out here and to play and be out with the guys, it’s really a blessing.”

Clearly, though, having Hudson around was the biggest blessing.

“Most days with us is just a normal family,” Solder said. “Sometimes we have that stark reminder where it’s a little different than what some families have. But that’s what we’ve been dreaming about is having him running around and playing. We have so much to look forward with our relationship with him, so we’re lucky to have him.”