Louie Aguiar had heard about athletes and testicular cancer.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong, figure skater Scott Hamilton and baseball player John Kruk all underwent treatment for the disease in recent years. And testicular cancer killed Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo - subject of the film "Brian's Song" - in 1970.But him? Never.
That all changed March 3, when Aguiar, the Kansas City Chiefs' 32-year-old punter, learned his swollen left testicle was cancerous.
"You don't ever think that it's going to get you," Aguiar, a former Utah State star, said Thursday. "You think, `I'm too young, too strong.' But cancer doesn't care who you are."
Aguiar had surgery March 4 to remove the cancerous testicle, followed by 15 radiation treatments. He has been given the OK to return this fall for a fifth season with Kansas City.
He revealed his battle with the disease during a news conference to announce the formation of his High 5 Foundation, which will benefit two local agencies.
At the time he was diagnosed with cancer, Aguiar's wife, Khrista, was pregnant with their first child.
"When they told my wife and me (about the cancer diagnosis), I sank," Aguiar said. "The first thing I thought was, `Who's going to take care of my son that's going to be born, and who's going to take care of my wife?' "
Aguiar's son, Cody Louis, was born June 5. Aguiar sat behind two photos of the baby at the news conference, and he had to fight back tears once after looking at the photos.
"I keep thinking that I might not have been here to see him."
Aguiar held off announcing his treatment until he was given clearance to play. That came last Friday, he said.
"We have been in constant communication with Louie and his physicians since this tumor was first diagnosed and have respected his wishes to keep this matter private until now," Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson said.
Aguiar said he discovered the cancer while on vacation in Hawaii, about two weeks after accidentally hitting himself in the left testicle while doing yard work at his offseason home in Sparks, Nev.
Aguiar's urologist, Dr. Steven Moss, diagnosed the cancer and performed the surgery. The radiation treatments came after further tests revealed that the cancer had spread to lymph nodes in Aguiar's abdomen.
He was cleared to begin kicking again in early May.
"It didn't even cross my mind about missing the season at all," Aguiar said. "(Moss) told me I would be ready by June 1, and I believed him, and I was."
The High 5 Foundation, named for Aguiar's uniform number, will benefit Cancer Action and El Centro.
Both agencies have programs for Kansas City's Hispanic community.
"I'm Hispanic, and I wanted to give something back to the community," Aguiar said. "I was already planning on creating a foundation to help support the Hispanic community in Kansas City."
The punter will donate $100 to the foundation for every punt he puts inside the 20-yard line.