I was very disappointed to see the draft end without Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich being called by any team. I was hoping that the Vikings might be that team. Too bad heart can't be measured at the scouting combine.
In 2008, Herzich was one of the best linebackers in the nation and the ACC defensive player of the year. Following that season, he experienced excruciating pain in his left leg. A battery of tests found nothing. An MRI finally led to the diagnosis: Ewings sarcoma. It is a bone cancer that afflicts mostly children and adolescents. Doctors told Herzlich that he'd never play football again. An opinion that he listened to as readily as he does now when 32 teams passed on him in the draft.
Treatment for Ewings sarcoma often includes removal of the diseased portion of the bone. Herzlich dismissed that because he would have never been able to run again, let alone play football. Instead, he chose to have the bone radiated. A titanium rod was inserted inside his left leg, running from his hip to just short of his knee, putting back the strength of the bone that the cancer stripped away. That rod, and the bolts that hold it in place, will remain in his leg forever. Herzlich returned to Boston College and the football field for the 2010 season. A miracle that he considers far from complete. The NFL is in his sites, and going undrafted is a far weaker opponent than cancer. Many teams will pursue him and only one will be lucky to have him.
No comments:
Post a Comment