Mark Herzlich is one of my favorite football players, because he’s so tough, and so determined, and so positive.

If you’re not familiar with his story, Herzlich was an All American linebacker at Boston College. In 2008, he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. In 2009, he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma - cancer. 

This clip, from this weekend’s 60 Minutes segment, tells the story of his fight not only to beat cancer, but to come back to football. As a college football fan, I knew of Herzlich’s diagnosis when it happened, and I vividly remember cheering, with tears streaming down my cheeks, when he announced on College GameDay in 2009 that he was cancer free. (That clip is included in the video above, and I have no problem admitting I smiled and teared up again watching it.)

Herzlich returned to BC and performed well at the NFL Combine but was not selected in the 2011 draft, possibly due to lingering concerns about his health. The night of the draft, he took to Twitter, writing: “I have been told that I can’t play football before. We all know what happened with that. #neverquit”

He didn’t, and he’s now with the New York Giants. 

Everyone faces setbacks in life, but not everyone handles them as well as Herzlich, with good humor and the drive to come back even stronger. 

(The above video’s a bit lengthy, but even if you need to bookmark it and come back to it later, I highly recommend watching.)

10:12pm | 31 Oct 2011 | 12 notes | Mark Herzlich | Boston College | New York Giants | Beat Cancer
Comments
nfloffseason: Champion: Noun; A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, esp. in sports. All the talk will be about “Elite” Eli, Coughlin the Coach, even Mario Manningham’s magnificent grab, & deservedly so, but take a moment to consider Mark Herzlich & his journey. He beat cancer, after being told to forget football & maybe even walking ever again. He went undrafted. When the NFL returned from it’s lockout, he chose to sign with the Giants, making the squad out of training camp. While he may have been inactive tonight, as his teammates won the Lombardi trophy, there is no doubt that his life’s story can be defined by just one word tonight. Champion I couldn’t find a photo of Mark Herzlich to post immediately after the game, so here it is. This guy right here is the reason I’m happy the Giants won. I have been SUCH a fan for years and I am so incredibly happy for him. He deserves this more than anyone. 

nfloffseason:

Champion: Noun; A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, esp. in sports.

All the talk will be about “Elite” Eli, Coughlin the Coach, even Mario Manningham’s magnificent grab, & deservedly so, but take a moment to consider Mark Herzlich & his journey.

He beat cancer, after being told to forget football & maybe even walking ever again. He went undrafted. When the NFL returned from it’s lockout, he chose to sign with the Giants, making the squad out of training camp. While he may have been inactive tonight, as his teammates won the Lombardi trophy, there is no doubt that his life’s story can be defined by just one word tonight.

Champion


I couldn’t find a photo of Mark Herzlich to post immediately after the game, so here it is. This guy right here is the reason I’m happy the Giants won. I have been SUCH a fan for years and I am so incredibly happy for him. He deserves this more than anyone. 

(via sbnation)

11:17am | 6 Feb 2012 | 319 notes | Mark Herzlich | Super Bowl
Comments