He's known in the state of Arkansas as being the longtime football coach of the Cabot Panthers. Mike Malham finished his coaching career a few years ago, with more than 300 wins. That's the second most games ever won by an Arkansas high school football coach. During those four decades on the football field, the sun took its toll.
"I had this spot kind of develop on my cheek up here. I just thought it was an age spot, or maybe a beauty spot. I don't know. I didn't notice it was much because you see it everyday, but they said something to my wife, Alexis, and she said you need to go get that checked out," said Malham.
Malham didn't exactly listen to his wife the first time. He put off getting it checked out.
After a while, his fellow coaches noticed the spot, too. It was eventually Malham's son who finally convinced him to see a dermatologist.
"I didn't really think anything about it. when other people started saying something about it, we got a little more concerned," Malham said.
Dr. Garrett Nelson with Dermatology Group of Arkansas says anytime you have a mole, or spot on your skin, that changes over time - it's a red flag.
"If you notice something that's changing rapidly. growing, bleeding, itching...have it checked out by your dermatologist," said Nelson.
The three most common types of skin cancer that dermatologists see are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
"Out all three of these, melanoma is the most serious because of its ability to spread," said Nelson.
Nelson said the main contributor to all of them is too much UV radiation from the sun, or tanning beds.
"I find melanoma in places the sun has never shined before, but the majority of melanomas do occur in sun exposed areas," said Nelson.
Exposed areas, just like the spot on Malham's face.
"They detected melanoma in there, so they've got to get it off there. Hopefully it's not too deep, yet. Coaching football for 41 years, out there at football practice, I've been in the sun most of my life. I guess that's what caused it," said Malham.
Removing the spot is the first step, and Nelson is hopeful he won't have to remove anymore tissue surrounding it.
It's highly curable if caught early said Nelson.
"We'll take that off and have the pathologist re-check to make sure we get all of the cancer out of his skin."
Malham will be back soon to have it re-checked.
Nelson believes his prognosis is good. He hopes this story will raise awareness about the importance of regular skin checks, especially if you're at risk.
"If you're somebody that has a lot of risk factors, a large number of moles, or having a family history of skin cancer or having a job or profession that keeps you outside in the sun, you may need a skin check every six months or once a year," Nelson said.
Malham will continue to enjoy retirement, with a greater awareness about his skin.
For someone who's used to calling his own plays, he said there's one thing he's learned through this whole ordeal.
"Well, listen to your wife and do what she tells you," Malham said. "I'd have been in here a lot sooner if I had done that."
Anyone can get skin cancer, regardless of skin color. Although it's less common in people of color, they are much more likely to die from it, due to delay in detection. That's why regular, at-home skin checks are so important for all of us.
The American Academy of Dermatology has a step-by-step guide on how to do that. Doctors say skin checks save lives, and we should all make it a habit to become more aware of any changes with our skin.