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Mark Herzlich
Mark Herzlich
Mark Herzlich
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Mark Herzlich
NFL Linebacker and Cancer Survivor
"Two years ago, I was told I might never walk again,' Mark typed to his loyal followers on Twitter. "Just walked off the plane in Indy to play in the Super Bowl. Take that cancer!" One week later, Mark Herzlich found himself celebrating at midfield with his teammates as part of the 2011 Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Mark Herzlich grew up a star athlete in three sports before attending Boston College where he was one of the top defensive players in all of college football. Following a 2008 season where he was a first team All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Herzlich was forced to sit out the entire 2009 season after being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
Herzlich fought through treatment and was back on the field in 2010. Returning to his old self as a disruptive force on the defensive side of the ball, Herzlich started in all 13 games that season and finished third on the team with 65 tackles - proving he hadn't lost his skills. Despite a strong final season with Boston College, Herzlich went undrafted by all 32 teams in the 2011 NFL Draft due to concerns over his medical history. However, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin saw the fire and intensity that drove Mark and brought him to training camp that summer. Two months later he was a starting Linebacker for the team.
Against the odds, Mark took the toughness learned on the football field and turned it against the powerful enemy within his own body. Winner of the ESPY award for Best Comeback by an Athlete, Mark seeks to inspire others to fight their own diseases and achieve their dreams in the face of harsh obstacles.
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“Mark was fantastic. He was articulate, accommodating, cooperative, and genuine. His story is powerful and inspiring, to see a hardship like that turned into something positive is a joy to hear. When he left the stage the applause was loud and people were whistling! We would recommend him to anyone.”
"Thank you for arranging Mark Herzlich as our keynote speaker. I have heard many compliments on how he was the best speaker we've ever had. He was relaxed, relatable and used stories of CF patients he met at our local children's hospital to tell his own story. We are grateful he took time out of his busy summer to help make our event a success. Please pass along our sincere appreciation and let Mark know we’ll be rooting for a successful season and lifetime of health and happiness. Mark is a class act individual, he made a wonderful impression on all of us and we wish him all the best."
“Mark was fantastic. He was articulate, accommodating, cooperative, and genuine. His story is powerful and inspiring, to see a hardship like that turned into something positive is a joy to hear. When he left the stage the applause was loud and people were whistling! We would recommend him to anyone.”
"Thank you for arranging Mark Herzlich as our keynote speaker. I have heard many compliments on how he was the best speaker we've ever had. He was relaxed, relatable and used stories of CF patients he met at our local children's hospital to tell his own story. We are grateful he took time out of his busy summer to help make our event a success. Please pass along our sincere appreciation and let Mark know we’ll be rooting for a successful season and lifetime of health and happiness. Mark is a class act individual, he made a wonderful impression on all of us and we wish him all the best."
"In an era of multi-million dollar athletes who capture front page headlines , along comes a courageous individual whose quiet story continues to play out quietly on the football fields of the NFL. America watched firsthand how this young man’s athletic career came crashing down in the blink of an eye at BC. His story of conquering cancer and catapulting back into the ranks of professional football is truly remarkable and should be a message to all of us that if you believe in yourself anything is possible. Mark is not only an inspiration to cancer survivors but to millions of his fellow Americans. Mark Herzlich is one of the most valiant and inspiring athletes of the 21st Century and his “warrior-like” personae embodies the power of the human spirit."