Even Before First Snap, Herzlich's a Winner

At the end of his rookie year, Mark Herzlich is living the dream of thousands of veteran NFL players who will never make it to the Super Bowl.

As if that wasn't emotional enough, the Conestoga High School graduate's story is the stuff legendary sports stories are made of. In May 2009 the Conestoga High School and Boston College football star was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in his leg.

For Herzlich's doctors, the diagnosis was a game changer. The 'experts' told Herzlich he would never play football again, and he might not even be able to walk once the treatment ended. For Herzlich it was just a bump in the road. Ok, a huge bump in the road, a game changer but not a game ender.

50 rounds of chemotherapy, weeks of radiation treatment and months of excruciating physical therapy and intense training later, Herzlich was back playing for Boston College and invited to attend the NFL 2011 draft. He was not selected. More training, more strength building and...fast forward to last summer's lockout shortened NFL training camp...Mark Herzlich was wearing a #58 New York Giants uniform. He will run onto the field in Indianapolis as a rookie to play in America's biggest sporting event. Getting to this stage is the goal of every NFL player and most never get there, even during long and successful careers.

Herzlich's story has thrust him into the center of the New York and National media spotlight.

Here are some of the other stories you can read and watch the full story of the kid from Wayne who's thrilled football fans from Teamer Field to Boston College and now around the world.

Click here to read Wednesday feature article about Herzlich in the New York Post.

Herzlich has said that he could not have made the journey from diagnosis to recovery without the support of several local people, including his parents and a childhood best friend.

Click here to watch Herzlich's October 2011 interview with CBS' 60 minutes.

Have a hankie handy and click here to watch Herzlich talk about being inspired by his kid brother and the emotional moment when he ran onto the field for his first game as a player in the NFL.

Click here to watch a Raycom Sports profile on Herzlich's recovery and return to Boston College.