While at the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival at Radnor (PA) High School on Saturday, April 27, LR News was able to catch up with New York Giants MLB Mark Herzlich, who was the recipient of the 2013 Courage Award.
Check out the video for our interview, and keep reading for more on Mark’s inspiring story.
Mark Herzlich was a standout lacrosse and football player at Conestoga (PA) High School before becoming one of the best linebackers in the country at Boston College. However, in 2009, he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma a rare form of bone cancer that forced him to miss the entire football season.
Not letting his condition get the best of him, Herzlich was able to overcome the disease. He made his way back to the field for BC in 2010, and made the New York Giants as an undrafted prospect in 2011. An inspiring person who showed tremendous grace through his fight with the disease, the Super Bowl XLVI Champion was awarded the 2013 Courage Award at the Katie Samson Festival.
After the ceremony, we were able to chat with Mark about his battle with cancer, his involvement with lacrosse and how the lacrosse community assisted his family during his fight.
On how he was able to defeat Ewings Sarcoma en route to the NFL:
It was a tough road. It is one of those things where everyone comes across a point in their life where they are having a rough spot. That was my rough spot. It may be a little rougher than a lot of peoples, but you go into that and say How have I gotten through these spots at other times in my life? It wasnt by feeling sorry for myself or getting down on myself; it was by saying How am I going to attack this problem head-on and get through it? That is kind of what we did. My family, my friends a lot of people who are here today brought dinners over each night so my mom could focus on getting me healthy and not cooking. So with the support of my family and friends, and obviously from the will within myself, we were able to push through and make sure that cancer was not going to define who I was as a person and keep my dreams alive.
On his days playing lacrosse and the support of the lacrosse community during his struggle:
Lacrosse was my true love from growing up. That was my sport. My parents actually started the Conestoga youth lacrosse program in the township 16 years ago. Watching the players come up from that grade that team won three State Championships from that first year. For me, playing for Conestoga, learning to love the sport and seeing how much lacrosse people love lacrosse. That is a passion you dont find a lot. Everyone becomes friends with everyone, and it is a really tight-knit community. Coming back here is like a family reunion; coming back to an event like this, there are so many people that I have played with, that have coached me and that I have known through the years seeing all of them here is really neat.
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 High School on Saturday, April 27, LR News was able to catch up with New York Giants MLB Mark Herzlich, who was the recipient of the 2013 Courage Award. Check out the...Read More){kind=link}