What It Takes: Fighting for My Life and My Love of the Game

by Mark Herzlich, Tom Coughlin (Foreword)

In 2011, he became starting linebacker for the New York Giants and triumphed in the Super Bowl—after being told his cancer diagnosis meant he would never play football again.... 
As a child, Herzlich found an inspiring and grounding force in football, eventually turning his passion into a first-team All-American spot at Boston College. But after being named the conference’s top defensive player his junior season, the budding star was sidelined by a persistent, debilitating pain in his left leg.
After months of tests, Herzlich received a shocking diagnosis: He had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Doctors put his odds of survival as low as fifteen percent—and no one thought he would be able to run, much less play, again. Then Herzlich learned of a radical alternative treatment that would give him the best chance to regain his strength and maybe even play football again. He had a choice to make, one that would allow him the chance to return to the game he loved, but it came at the risk of his life.
Herzlich relied on family, friends, faith, and deep wells of determination to help him through treatment, and his drastic plan worked. Not only could he run, but he was stronger than ever physically, and mentally ready to battle his way to a spot on an NFL roster. When he was passed over by all 32 teams in the draft, he dug deeper and continued his training, winning a spot in the Giants’ training camp, and eventually, on the team.
Mark Herzlich fought a battle against cancer, against statistics, and some days against himself. Told with candor and raw emotion, this is a story for anyone who has ever fought to beat the odds, for anyone who has ever been told that what they are about to attempt is next to impossible.
Herzlich’s story embodies powerful lessons about what can be achieved through persistence and belief, and he serves as living proof that overcoming the impossible is only the beginning.
With a foreword by New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2014

Reviews

[James Overton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read! I knew some of Mark's battles but had no idea how much adversity he overcame. very inspirational!

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “MY WORLD SHRANK TO A VERY SMALL PATCH OF SPACE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. THAT’S WHAT CANCER DOES TO YOU”
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I almost died during brain tumor surgery on February 13, 2002. I have been blessed… and I appreciate every day I’ve been given…

Someone reading that at the start of a book review… would most likely think… why would you put that there? Because on page 174 in this soul touching… cathartic… (for the author… and people like myself)… book… former New England Patriot… and stroke survivor… Tedy Bruschi… tells the author: “Mark, don’t forget-you’re a survivor now”… So be proud of being a survivor. Always be proud of that.” The author is… and I most assuredly am. The author Mark Herzlich is a professional football player who was part of the New York Giants Football team when they won the Super Bowl. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… let me make clear… what is to me… the most important thing about this book… that every potential reader should know. Yes there is football in this book… and yes the author’s life has been built around it… but in order of importance for potential readers… I would probably list football way down on the list as to why you should buy it. If you are facing a health challenge that is life threatening… or you have a loved one… regardless of their age… that is facing a life threatening situation… or if you are an individual such as myself… who was literally faced with a life and death situation… where you didn’t know if you would be alive the next day… this book is for you! To read about someone in exacting detail… going through very much of what you have gone through… from finding out with virtually no warning that you may die… to your courage shaking first encounter (unfortunately the first of uncountable encounters) with an MRI machine… to describing.. the even worse feeling (feeling isn’t a good enough word)… that once you’ve got past the elongated first obstacle of finishing the MRI… to the unimaginable… and incalculable… length of time… till you get the results of your latest MRI… and believe me… from the exact second your doctor informs you of your tumor or cancer… from that exact microsecond in time… your entire life… and your families entire life… has been changed forever… because… when you’re handed your original verdict… that started this entire journey to the abyss… of what your life has become… and may end with... it’s at times like this… regardless of what type of belief in the Lord you may… or may not have had… until this point in your life… I guarantee you… you will re-examine it from a different angle. The author… as in all other subjects in this book… discusses it openly… and honestly.

It is difficult for me to decide on some of the words I use in describing this book… because when you are talking about cancer… and tumors… and life and death… certain words are distasteful for someone who has (luckily) lived through a situation like this. I don’t want to say the book was enjoyable… even though I couldn’t put it down. I… after much inner searching… would rather say… that it was re-affirming… that what I went through… what I felt… faced… and accepted… as how I would face my “challenge”… was faced with an almost exact mindset of the author.

Before… during… and after… Mark shares with the reader… his undying love and appreciation of the wonderful family he was born into. Another affirmation that I have stated an infinite amount of times… and I will continue for all eternity… is… it would be impossible to get through an ordeal like this without a loving dedicated family. My family was my twenty-two year old son.

Mark’s ultimate reward… in addition to life… was a Super Bowl championship. My ultimate reward… was being able to share my son’s continued ascension into manhood… and two beautiful… feminine… angelic… Granddaughters… that I never would have met… If I didn’t win my fight.

That’s what this book is about. From diagnosis… to treatment…to suffering… to faith… to family… to goals and determination… and everything in between.

Yes… there is football… but this book reaffirms… there are things more important than football.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 2008, twenty-one year old Mark Herzlich was having a banner year professionally, even being named ACC's (Atlantic Coast Conference) Defensive Player of the Year. But by 2009, Herzlich would be diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that not only threatened to end his career, but came with a survival rate as low as 10 percent. Researching options, Herzlich discovered that there was a form of treatment out there that could risk his life, but it also might just save it.

The story of Herzlich's career is not your typical Cinderella story. Though Herzlich came from nice beginnings --- enjoying a cushy, middle-upper class upbringing with loving, encouraging parents dedicated to providing him with the best opportunities --- and though he worked hard, pursuing his professional sports dreams with an iron focus, he still suffered rejection by several NFL teams during draft weeks. But then came the day that New York Giants President John Mara heard about this guy and urged head coach Tom Coughlin to give him a shot at training camp (Mara might have also had a soft spot for the fact that Herzlich and he shared the same college alma mater). Herzlich then spends some chapters discussing the early days of his career as an NFL linebacker, before coming back around to the story of his cancer journey and how he eventually got back out on the field after being told that likely wasn't going to be a possibility anymore.

Though it seems like he came from good parental stock overall, naturally they weren't perfect. Some time is spent discussing the struggle his father sometimes had with anger issues, a trait Mark says he inherited but learned to vent on the field. There's also the story from Mark's college years that I had to lift an eyebrow at, where Mark was suffering from a mystery pain in his knee that for months would not let up. His dad's suggestion, apparently, was to go out and get fall-down drunk. Thank goodness for sensible mom to be the voice of reason! She ends up setting Mark up with an appointment with a sports specialist. But this is after a few other doctors (not of sports specialty) basically looked at it and collectively shrugged. I thought it odd that the sports doc was the first to suggest an MRI. That MRI would come back with the cancer diagnosis.

I don't want to take away from Mark's story of cancer survival. No doubt, that is something to be proud of, something for others to admire. That said, I didn't love how he comes off on paper. There's A LOT of ego roaring through these pages. When he talks of working towards getting into the NFL, his top motivation doesn't seem to be love of the game as much as it is becoming a millionaire and having kids wear his jersey number. The tone of the writing, it just brought to mind the image of a high school PE teacher trying to take every motivational quote off the sports t-shirts and locker room posters they could find and trying to string a memoir out of it. And then in the last chapter, he writes "one of the most important lessons cancer taught me is humility." I wasn't all that convinced, because for several pages afterward he goes on to share all these stories illustrating "look at how great all these people think I am, these people who want to be just like me!"

There are some motivational quotes and stories for sure.... just, after awhile, it got to be a bit much, a little exhausting with the running theme of "full time job being this awesome!!" His cancer survival is impressive, but the man could use a re-think on the true definition of humility.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Herzlich beat two odds. He beat cancer and he beat the odds of making an NFL roster. In 2009 he was diagnosed with a form of cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma that nearly killed him.

As a result of his cancer diagnosis he suffered through years and years of pain in different parts of his body; he endured the grueling process that is cancer chemotherapy; there were many times he didn't have the energy to leave his own home; and so much more. But somehow he got through all those debilitating setbacks and was able to resume his football career, but most importantly he was able to live and get his life back.

Beating cancer couldn't have happened to a better person. I don't know Mark Herzlich and I've never met him, but by reading this book I could tell he was a great guy and one of those type of people you root for.

Herzlich's story reached a lot of people because he was a stud linebacker for a Division 1-A school such as Boston College. But Herzlich's story and this book was about way more than football. It was about a man who had the will to fight cancer; that he was blessed with a great family and friends to support him in his fight against one of the leading killers of men and women since I don't when; and his story was about inspiring others to fight when the odds are against you.

In conclusion, read this book if you want an inspiring story about a man who beat two nearly impossible odds, which is cancer and making an NFL active roster. The man played for the New York Giants for six years after beating cancer!!! His story should inspire anyone.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall book is a very inspiring story. For how far he made it in his career with such a devastating disease is amazing. It is a prime example of dealing with diversity, and overcoming it. I do however, think he added in a lot of unnecessary or irrelevant stories. This made it seem like some chapters were dragging on. I really enjoyed the book, and it was a nice motivator, because I read it during last football season.

[Jonathan Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

He made a very inspiring story. After being told his cancer diagnosis means he would never play football again. He found something that inspire himself and that was playing football, he joined a first team All American spot at Boston college. He became the conference’s top defensive player during his junior year he was having debilitating pain in his left leg. They discovered he had a diagnosis which was Ewing’s sarcoma it is a rare bone cancer. They told him he would have a 15 percent of surviving it out. He learned there was a radical treatment for him to gain strength and his run back. And he decided to keep playing football he battled his way to make it to a nfl roster

[Joe Horney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book almost had me in tears a couple times and i aint afraid to admit it

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartwarming even if it's it's sports

[Dalton Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

What It Takes
Have you ever caught yourself roaming through books in the library looking for one that catches your attention? Choosing the right book involves the reader’s interests and what catches their attention. Almost every person around the world is interested in a book that keeps you “up on your toes,” a great football story. Sports play a major role into everyone’s daily living. We see sports in the news, coming out in theaters, hearing people talk about it, or you may even hear it on the radio. This is a topic that is all around us and catches many readers attention.
What It Takes is an autobiography written by Mark Herzlich where he tells about his personal life experience playing football. Herzlich started out for Boston College and decided to further his skill by playing for the New York Giants. He was told that he would never get the experience of playing football again. His life slowly began to change further into his career after a shocking hit of breaking news. This hit was not considered major until he was found left fighting for his life.
As the reader of this book, I found that my opinion does not vary. I believe that this book deserves a four star review. It is well written and catches your full attention throughout the entire book. I can relate to this book because I play football. Mark never wanted to give up; he wanted to push himself through anything. One quote from the book that caught my attention was, “I can honestly say that I’ve never felt guilty for inflicting pain on the football field” (Herzlich 10). To me, this quote means sacrifice. Sacrificing your life every time you step foot on the football field is risky because there are players out there like Herzlich that does not feel guilty for inflicting pain onto someone else.
The only thing from this novel becoming a four star to a five star is its detail. I believe that this piece of writing needs more detail about Herzlich’s treatment. The book states, “I fought a battle against cancer, against statistics, and some days against myself” (Herzlich 108). I believe that in this sentence, Herzlich should have used more detail about how he fought against all these concerns. What treatment did he have to go through? What challenges did he have to face against himself? These are questions that are running through my mind as I was reading his writing. The author, Mark, focuses more on his strengths of how he overcame his cancer by not caring about what other people think.
If I had the choice, I would recommend this piece of writing to anyone regardless if they liked football or not. If the reader enjoys life conflicting stories, I would recommend “What it takes” by Mark Herzlich. This book has an astonishing point of view throughout the writing. The author makes it clear that you can overcome anything you set your mind to, as long as you try to make a difference. Making a difference in your life when you are facing these kinds of problems takes a strong person. Mark Herzlich was a strong person for presenting his life conflict and publishing it. If you’re ever in doubt while roaming through books again, I strongly recommend this book to anyone of any age group.

[Scott Sykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

To put it bluntly, this book is absolutely amazing. It's hard to put into words how great it is, but all I can say is that the author completely brings you into his world and life, and you feel like you're right there with him through all his highs and lows. I've read quite a few athlete autobiographies, and this is by far one of the most well written, vivid portraits of a life on and off the field. What truly sets this book apart is not just how he deftly tells of his football successes and his cancer treatment obstacles, it's in how he describes his feelings and relationships with those closest to him during the journey. As you read, you feel you are right there with him in the chemo room, the football field, his dorm, or his home, and you feel as if you are a part of the amazing group of family and friends that were there for him. By the end of the book, you feel as if his friends are your own, and that you know his family as if you were a part of it. There are some amazingly emotional moments in the book (both happy and sad) and because of how they're written, I felt myself feeling those emotions strongly. I've never had a book make me feel that much before. I didn't want the book to end because I didn't want to leave behind that world. It's truly an inspirational story, and you have to have nothing but respect for his determination and values. Most of all thought, the book fills you with hope. Whatever you're going through, whether it's something big like an illness or something happier like working towards a job promotion, his story and how he writes it inspires you to get through whatever you need to get through and reach for new heights you may not have thought you were capable of. Once he decides to retire from football, I truly hope that Mark Herzlich chooses to be a write more. If anything he does in the future is even half as good as this book, I'm buying multiple copies and giving them to everyone I know. You must read this.

[Michael Calzaretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Read is called “What It Takes” by Mark Herzlich. As a child, Herzlich found an inspiring and grounding force in football, eventually turning his passion into a first-team All-American spot at Boston College. But after being named the conference's top defensive player his junior season, the budding star was sidelined by a persistent, debilitating pain in his left leg. During the night he would have very sharp and painful attack in his leg. Causing him to miss practices and workouts with the team. As he starts talking to his family about the pain his mother decides to go see some doctors and see if he can be treated. When they go see the doctor, he comes in with harsh news. The doctor says “ Mark, you have cancer.” The doctor says that mark can't play football. Does that really stop mark from doing what he does best? If you read the book you will find out the struggles he goes through and the accomplishments he makes throughout the book. This book is really good and interesting because it tells you the hard things this tough football player goes through. It includes football,braveness,confidence, and toughness.

My opinion towards this book is very good because it is a great book that talks About football and how he loved the game as a kid. It also talks about what he experienced through his life with girls,football,school,and family. In the book it talks about certain scenes that he was in. There were scenes of him making great plays or runs. This gave me a lot of excitement throughout the book with the great details he goes through while playing football. Also it is very interesting to see how he deals with the cancer he diagnosed. Even though it was very heartbreaking, Mark was strong and fought the cancer and ended being a great football player. I would give this book a rating of 4.5-5

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

audio book -- As wife and mother of Boston College grads, I enjoy BC sports and joined with cheering supporters and fans at football games in Alumni Stadium in 2009 and 2010 as Mark Herzlich ran onto the field & stayed at the sidelines cheering on his teammates when he couldn't play and then returned to play one year later. So, the BC/Boston setting, the author and the events are very familiar. I enjoyed hearing Mark speak his story and all he shared. Many times it brought tears to my eyes as he spoke with insight, reflection and humor about his love for and from his family, friends, and teammates; his ups and downs through his cancer diagnosis and treatment; his journey and hard work to return to football and to to be part of the NFL; his connections with other cancer patients. Very readable and well done. Always a good sign when I look for opportunities to keep listening to a book, around the house and while driving -- which I did with this one.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is powerful and moving. Mark's story is about so much more than football or cancer. It's a story about life, family, and love. I followed Mark's story while it was happening - I still know exactly where I was sitting when I got the text from my brother about Mark's diagnosis. I couldn't breathe when I heard the news. I shook Mark's hand on the day he made his announcement on ESPN. I went to San Francisco and watched him play in his final college game. Even so, I was transported into Mark's world while I was reading this book. I couldn't put it down. I shared it with my father and my son, and they both loved it. What It Takes is a incredible story of survival that everyone should read.

[Adam Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a BC grad I am a little biased towards this book, but Herzlich's story really touched me. Honest, sincere and inspiring, Herzlich's book should be read by all people who have battled or know someone who have battled cancer. He has a great style that gives insight into his fight, but with some humor and heart. Can't recommend this book enough.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a BC football fan, I was anxious to read this book. It was very well written and interesting. It is a book I would recommend any cancer patient to read. It is inspiring and hones. And of course as a believer in the bible and God, I appreciated his belief that God was on his side and had a plan for him. Go Mark you are an inspiration.

[Jen]

Such a great book! Mark and I were the same year at BC, and while I never knew him personally, his presence was strong on campus. He did a wonderful job telling his story and it was fun to read it and remember some of the things that happened (during football games, etc)! Definitely a very inspiring story and worth a read by both football and non-football fans!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way to go Mark. Way to go.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing from A to Z!

[Marc Colasanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring read, whether you're a football fan or not. Really great read if you're a Giants fan!

[Aj Woznesensky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very inspiring and all around a very good read. If your a football fan it's a bonus but even if you hate football, this is a great book, with a great message.

[J Patrick]

Straightforward testimony of being a cancer survivor and his journey through the illness to back to his previous life.

[Sean Mc Cormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book i liked it a lot because he had cancer and now is in the NFL and to just shows that anything is possible and never lose faith

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in a few hours & loved the BC connections...