Herzlich ready to repeat 2008

From the Boston Herald

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Since being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in May of 2009, Mark Herzlich has been through the wringer – physically, mentally and spiritually.

But now, after all the radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and soul-searching, the Boston College linebacker can taste what he’s been working so hard for the last 14 months.

On Aug. 9, the Eagles begin their fall camp in preparation for the 2010 season. On Aug. 13, the BC football players will hit each other for the first time. That can’t help but bring a smile to Herzlich’s face.

“Hitting is the best part about what I do,” said Herzlich with a wide grin. “A lot of it is mental, but at linebacker, you’ve got to hit people, you’ve got to hit people hard, you’ve got to be physical and angry all the time on the field. Aug. 9 is when we start camp and so I’ll be hitting (BC offensive lineman) Anthony Castonzo and (running back) Montel Harris, and that’ll feel good. But once we get to Weber State on Sept. 4, that’s when I can really unload and hit.”

Herzlich, attending the ACC Football Kickoff media weekend at the Grandover Resort yesterday, did not participate in any contact in the spring. He was still not ready, after the chemotherapy and radiation that shrunk the tumor in his left leg, followed by the surgery to insert a rod in his leg to stabilize the bone.

But while he hasn’t played real football since his standout 2008 season when he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he said he has no trepidation about that first hit.

“It’s more that I’m anticipating it, I’m excited for it,” said Herzlich. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m going to do whatever I can to make my leg as strong as possible. Doctors have said all the tests are good and it should be strong. If some freak accident happens, some freak accident happens. That’s what you have to live with.

“But I made the decision a while ago that I’m going to to take the time to work to get back on the field. That’s where I’m going and there’s no hesitation about it.”

Herzlich had a lot of stiffness in his leg during the spring, but he said he’s been able to work most of that out.

“It’s improved a lot,” he said. “That was the biggest problem in the spring, the flexibility in my leg, and I was getting tight pulls here and there. But it’s improved dramatically.”

Herzlich said that he’s been told that the chance of his leg breaking are no greater than it is for any other player, but that there are risks.

“If my leg does break, it’ll have a very hard time healing because of all the radiation damage and chemo damage to the actual spot,” he said. “I have to do everything I can to protect the leg, but I can’t be overly cautious. Whether a freak accident happens to me on the field, or in a car accident or something, that’s out of my control.”

With that being said, Herzlich sounds as confident as he’s ever been that he’ll make it through camp and be in uniform when the season opens.

“I’ll make it back on the field. I’ll be out there,” said Herzlich without an ounce of equivocation. “I guess the only question is how many times is the quarterback going to throw the ball to me and how many picks am I going to get. The question is going to be whether I’m going to have the same numbers I had in 2008.

“I think everyone’s going to compare what I do this year to 2008, which is exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll look back at the end of the season and see how it went. It will either be great or it will be OK. But it can’t be bad, because coming back is going to be great in itself.”