Idaho Football Player Dies of Cancer

It wasn't the news the Idaho Vandal Athletic Department wanted to hear and while it was expected, no one was ready o accept the news that 19 year old freshman football player Collin Sather of Spokane had died of cancer. early Tuesday morning.

Sather, who turned 19 years old Sunday was diagnosed with advanced renal cancer just about a month ago. He spent his birthday in the hospital surrounded by family and friends.

He felt stomach pain on January 17th and went to a hospital on the 21st where the diagnosis was made. Sather underwent immediate and aggressive treatment but nothing worked, the cancer was too far advanced.

An all league player in basketball and football at his high school in Spokane, Sather spent this past season as a red-shirt wide receiver for the Vandals and was getting ready for spring practice when he started to feel ill.

Idaho football coach Paul Petrino said "We challenge our players to be tough and choose character and nobody did a better job of that than Collin."

Petrino added, "My short time with Collin made me a better man."