Most of the guys on the team have a nasty case of the WTC cough,which is what you get from digging week after week, up to 18hours a day, and inhaling dust, smoke, glass particles, asbestosand, indeed, microscopic remains of their fallen comrades.
This sentence shows they must love the sport so much that no matter what happens to them they still play the game and be there to help support the team to win even if they possibly become sick. the passion they have for the game is crazy if your kind of sick inhaling gross dust but still playing the game and not giving up.