Proud to be a Tiger

THE STORY (from sports.go.espn.com)
Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year, has been suffering from a rare form of bone cancer. "Herzlich, the Eagles' seemingly invincible leader who turned down the NFL draft to return for his senior season, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a malignant tumor most often found in bone or soft tissue." He recently finished his radiation therapy, but still "faces five rounds of chemotherapy....Herzlich said an MRI exam following two months of chemotherapy showed only a small tumor in his left femur. There was no tumor in the soft tissue surrounding the bone, he said.

"Things are going really well," Herzlich said...."The goal right now is to get rid of the tumor completely and to be healthy. That's the goal right now and they're encouraged that's what's going to happen."

Herzlich, who has one season of college eligibility left, was initially told by doctors that he would not be able to play football again. But Herzlich said he hopes to play for Boston College in 2010 and possibly in the NFL after college. Last season, he led the Eagles with 110 tackles, six interceptions and had 13 tackles for loss.

"That's my goal," Herzlich said. "Obviously, I'm not going to play this year because of the chemo. But I'm going to spend a lot more time in the film room and will do more mental learning. I really want to come back next year and pick up where I left off."

Herzlich said doctors have told him they'll have to see how his left leg responds to radiation before they can discuss his football future. Other than losing his hair, Herzlich said the treatment really hasn't affected him physically.

"It's been all right," Herzlich said. "The weeks that I had radiation and chemo on the same day were tough. The chemo makes you tired. My hair is gone, but other than that I've stayed the same.

More than anything, Herzlich said he is happy to be returning to Boston College again. He needs to finish four classes to earn an undergraduate degree in marketing and hopes to graduate in December.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4166736
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4423973


THE REACTION
Coach Swinney presented BC's Mark Herzlich with a #94 Clemson jersey signed by all of the Tigers prior to last Saturday's game.

Read a letter from Mark's father here below:

Dear Clemson Fans:

First - My son is Mark Herzlich, the BC linebacker recovering from Cancer. The entire Tiger Nation should be proud of the complete class your entire program carries itself with. I wear a copy of Mark's jersey to games and I lost track of the number of Clemson fans who approached me to wish him well and to say that they were praying for him. These are people who don't know me, don't know Mark and have little reason to even be aware of his situation yet were both aware and involved enough to say some kind words. Thank you.

Second, for those who missed it, prior to the game Coach Swinney presented Mark with a Clemson jersey signed by the whole team with Mark's #94 on it. I've never seen such an outstanding and unsolicited display of sportsmanship.

Finally, throughout the weekend the major topic of conversation outside football was the graciousness of the Clemson fan base. All of us commented on how welcoming everyone was, both before and after the game. I've been to Clemson before and interacted with Clemson fans in Boston so I wasn't suprised any more but I was glad to see my friends get the message too. There was absolutely no lack of support or fanatacism for Clemson football but it was all wrapped up in an understanding that competing doesn't mean hating, that you need an opponent to play a game and that there's a difference between an opponent and an enemy. My younger son, who's used to the whole us versus them attitude in a lot of fan bases turned to me at one point and said, "you just can't hate these guys!"

Clemson continues to be my favorite road trip. I always root for Boston College to go undefeated and win the ACC, but in the years that it can't be us, I hope it's you.

If you're going to be a bear - be a grizzly!

-Sandon Herzlich
(From: http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092209aah.html)


I think that this demonstrates what Coach Swinney is all about. This man is not here just to earn a salary, teach some guys how to throw a ball around, and make them do community service every once in a while to look good. Coach Swinney is a man of compassion and dignity, a man who realizes that there is more to being a good football program than performing well on the field. It's things like this that make me proud to be a Clemson Tiger, and make me even more proud to cheer my Tigers on when they play. Keep up the good work!