Boston College Defensive Lineman diagnosed w/ Cancer

Thu May 14, 2009 2:32 pm EDT

Breaking: All-American Herzlich diagnosed with cancer
By Matt Hinton



Even for relatively diehard fans, it might have been possible to get through the last couple seasons knowing Mark Herzlich only as "the guy with the crazy facepaint," but that would be missing the lead: The 6'4", 240-pound Boston College linebacker was the defensive player of the year in a conference that had six defenders picked in the first two rounds of this year's draft, and might have joined teammate B.J. Raji in the top-10 if he hadn't decided to come back for his senior season at B.C.

Pray today, then, that the football chapter of Herzlich's story isn't closed after the sure-fire All-American disclosed that he's been diagnosed with cancer:

Boston College senior linebacker Mark Herzlich disclosed today that he has been diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a malignant tumor most often found in bone or soft tissue.

The following is a statement from Herzlich:

"This past week, I got some news nobody wants to hear. After undergoing some tests to determine the cause of some pain I had been experiencing in my leg, I learned that I have Ewing's Sarcoma.

"Obviously, I was shocked. I had been extremely focused on preparing for my senior season at Boston College and for life beyond that. Now, I must channel all that energy into facing my toughest opponent yet, and that is exactly what I will do.
[...]
"At this point, I do not know what this means for my football future, but I am determined to rid my body of this disease so that I can put that uniform back on. Thank you in advance for your prayers and concern. Together, we will fight this and win."

I'm not that kind of doctor, but I assume "cancer" and "bone" in the same sentence is always, literally, deathly serious news; for Ewing's Sarcoma, the prognosis depends on a variety of factors, but five-year survival rates if the diagnosis is made fairly early are as high as 80 percent.

But Herzlich's five-year prognosis as of last week was to be doing this:


... for tremendous fame and fortune. Godspeed, sir, in getting back on that track.

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