INDIANAPOLIS – Chuck Pagano was back promoting his book on Tuesday as his tour spread across even more mediums all over the United States.
Things branched a bit further on Tuesday as Pagano talked with various media outlets about his new book "Sidelined" with proceeds going to cancer research and other charities.
Below is a rundown of all the stops Pagano made on Tuesday with links to his interviews.
Pagano's Tuesday morning tour started early with a trip to Fox and Friends. The show focused on Pagano's journey back in 2012 and the Colts head coach touched on his initial thoughts when the doctors informed him of his diagnosis.
"At first you are like, 'Why me?' We all think we are invincible and it's never going to happen. We hear it happen all the time but we never think it's going to be us. So it takes a minute to digest it. Then I'm looking at my wife and I've got three daughters and three granddaughters and I'm thinking, 'Okay. I signed up for life on this deal and I've got to be there for them. Who's going to be there for my family? I got a job to get back to.' I said, 'Doc, what's my odds and what's the game plan? What do I have to do to get out of here?'
Mornings are #betterwithfriends like @Colts head coach Chuck Pagano! pic.twitter.com/AjyeQfWwuK — FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) June 24, 2014
Pagano called in to the Indianapolis based Bob and Tom Show on Tuesday morning. The show, known for its comedic relief, asked Pagano about Reggie Wayne--a fan favorite in the Indianapolis area.
"Reggie is doing great. Reggie will be up at training camp starting on the 23rd. Just excited to see how he gets there this year. He helicoptered in last year. He's come in on military vehicles, humvees. I don't think he will be doing anything crazy involving the lower extremities but Reggie is great, the team is great. We had a great offseason program and I'm really look forward to the season and looking forward to getting back started with training camp."
Pagano sat down with the Huffington Post for a 20-minute interview that focused on his journey before getting into football talk for the final six minutes. Hill asked Pagano about third-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
"I know he's special. His resume speaks for itself. Andrew is a great, great player but he's a better person. He's a great pro and he's very, very passionate about his craft and is one of the hardest workers on the team. He's a great teammate and nobody is going to outwork this guy."
A fun look behind the scenes with Coach Pagano as he discusses him new book "Sidelined" with a variety of national media outlets.
Speaking to CBS Sports and Jason La Canfora, Pagano talked about how appreciative he is for the support that came his way back in 2012.
Pagano is an easy guy to get behind, and his ability to lead and inspire has been apparent in his two seasons with the Colts. Of course, many more suffer through cancer in more anonymous circumstances, and Pagano remains forever indebted to those who embraced his mission and supported him near and far.
"It was overwhelming, and very humbling to say the least," Pagano said. "I was only here, in this community in Indianapolis, like seven or eight months or whatever it was before I was diagnosed, and for them to embrace me and my family the way they did and support us was unbelievable. And, like you said, the entire NFL community was overwhelming. My family was my main inspiration and when I signed up for that I signed up for life. So when you are first diagnosed you take two seconds to absorb it, and why me, and then you refocus and you know he's got a plan for all of us and it was, 'OK, doc, what are my chances. Give me the game plan. Because I've got to be around a long time to take care of my wife and my children and grandchildren and to get back to my job and my team. That was my focus."
"And to have so much support along the way, it was unbelievable. You hear about Hoosier Hospitality, but until you really live it you have no idea. It is off the charts … what this organization did for me and my family and how they rallied behind us. Jim Irsay, what he did for me and my family during that time, the way he had my back, I can never repay the man. The only way I can come close is by bringing home a Lombardi Trophy, but I can never truly repay him. I've said it once and I'll say it again -- I'd take a bullet for him."
USA Today interviewed Pagano on Tuesday and the Colts head coach reflected on what Reggie Wayne's 12-catch, 212-yard performance in orange gloves meant in the coach's first game away from the team back in 2012.
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Pagano was asked to reflect on that memory. It wasn't easy for the coach, who needed several seconds to compose himself.
"It's hard to talk about," he said. "What Reggie did that day — the gloves are on my mantle in my office at home. They're a great reminder of our whole mantra from Day 1 — always team first and self second. "That was just overwhelming, humbling. He's a great, great player but a better person, better human being."
