Oct. 1, 2009

The Atlantic Coast Conference football family is rallying to support Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich and his fight against cancer.

Herzlich, the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was diagnosed last spring with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of cancer most commonly found in the bone or soft tissue.

The Eagles played their Atlantic Coast Conference opener Sept. 19 at Clemson, where Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney presented Herzlich a $5,000 check for Uplifting Athletes, the cancer-research charity with which Boston College’s student-athletes have become involved since Herzlich was diagnosed.

Swinney also presented Herzlich with a Clemson jersey signed by his whole team. The jersey bore No. 94, Herzlich’s number at BC.

“I've never seen such an outstanding and unsolicited display of sportsmanship,” Sandon Herzlich, Mark’s father, wrote in an open letter to Clemson fans.

The Florida State Student Alumni Association, the FSU Alumni Association and the FSU Foundation are each contributing $2,500 to the advancement of Ewing’s Sarcoma research in Herzlich’s name. The FSU Athletics and FSU Varsity Club plan to contribute a remaining $1,900 for a total of $9,400, symbolic of Herzlich’s jersey number.

A fundraiser at Virginia Tech began with the goal of raising $5,094. But over $7,000 has already been raised through the sale of Team United wristbands, prompting the Hokies to up the goal to $9,400.

“There has been such an overwhelming response from our fans and the community that we want to raise our goal to $9,400,” Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “This outpouring of generosity truly shows what the Hokie Nation is all about, and I’m thankful for that.”

Meanwhile, the FedEx Orange Bowl delivered a $5,000 check in Herzlich’s name to the Sarcoma Foundation of America.

“There has been an unbelievable outpouring of support for Mark from around the ACC,” said Chris Cameron, Boston College’s Associate Athletic Director of Media Relations.