CALGARY -- Lacrosse fans in Calgary know Curtis Manning as a fierce transition player with the Roughnecks, but in his other life, in British Columbia, he’s known as Dr. Manning. That's because the  32-year-old Roughneck also has a family practice in Port Coquitlam.

Being a family doctor, Manning isn’t on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has had some patient contact but it’s a lot more controlled.

Manning is certainly doing his part to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic nevertheless.

He doesn’t consider himself a hero. He says that title goes to others on the front lines of the pandemic, whether in health care or every day essential services.

“The people that are in the hospitals, the grocery store workers that have contact with people every day - that’s certainly a much higher risk situation,” he said.

“ I don’t know if they walk around calling themselves heroes," he said, "but I think it’s nice that they get the respect and admiration they deserve for the work they’re doing right now. That’s for sure.”

The Roughnecks are the defending N.L.L. Champs. For Manning it was his first title since joining the league in 2010.

Defending the title is up in the air. The league cancelled the remainder of the regular season April 8, with the post-season still up in the air.

Manning said that’s a small sacrifice in these pandemic times.

“It’s easy to lament the season not going right now," he said., "but you’re not going to find anybody that doesn’t fully understand and support the decisions that have been made,”

“It’s ultimately for the better good and I think everybody is on board and it’s the right and proper thing to do right now.”

Being both a physician and an athlete gives Manning a unique perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says people are realizing sports is a game for fun. Coronavirus is a game of life.

“At the end of the day the small sacrifices we’ve made to delay sports or put it off is for the greater good of the population," he said. "It’s a very small sacrifice and it does put it into perspective.”