E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of only four sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls. Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

MARK HERZLICH HAS CATCHING UP TO DO
AND SO FAR, IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S WINNING

By Dave Klein
ALBANY, N.Y. - The one-on-one ground rules for interviewing linebacker Mark Herzlich on the campus of UAlbany where the Giants are conducting an abbreviated summer training camp were simple.

Talk football. Do not talk cancer.

So Herzlich, who is totally convinced he would have been a first-round draft pick in 2010 had he not fallen victim to Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone disease that attacked his leg, has another mission.

The first, obviously, is to make sure his remission turns into a permanent state of affairs and nothing more than a terrible memory. The second is to make sure he plays the way he was supposed to play in order to become a first round pick out of Boston College.

"Hey, I was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year [in 2009]," he said, "and most of those guys have always been first round picks."

That list includes Herzlich in 2009, and Chris Long of Virginia, Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech, Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson.

Herzlich, who is 6-4 and 245, is locked in a fierce battle with veteran Chase Blackburn for the starting middle linebacker spot. "Chase is a veteran and he has played really well," Herzlich said, "but it's a chance, an opportunity, and I owe it to myself to do everything I can."

There is a mutual respect between the pair. "Mark is a good player and he is always running at full speed," says Blackburn. "But I'm a veteran. I don't want to sit. So I have to take advantage of every opportunity. Mark can be a great special teams player [is that wishful thinking?] and he has picked up everything he needs."

Herzlich admitted that last season, when he was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent - "that really hurt," he said - he was just anxious to make the final cut. He realized that the playbook in the NFL was a lot to absorb, and he says that his confidence never wavered, not once, not for a second.

"I even start myself in video games," he smiled. "I know I can do this job, I know it. I know I'm good enough to be a starter, and you know, one of the reasons I picked the Giants was because Coach [Tom] Coughlin was at B.C. and a lot of the things he does he did there. You know, five minutes early for a meeting or you're late, details above all. Those kinds of things."

Linebackers coach Jim Hermann was asked how the battle was going. "Both are having great camps," he said. But is there a clear-cut winner? "Nope, too close to call," he added. "Too close to call. But I'll say this - I'd feel very comfortable with whoever is on the field [at the MIKE position]."

Last April during the draft was particularly painful for Herzlich, as he saw a former teammate, one with whom he played, become a first round draft pick. That was Luke Kuechly, who was the ninth overall pick (by the Carolina Panthers), and while Mark wouldn't say it, the thought must have been: "That should have been me."

Kuechly, 6-3 and 245 (an almost identical match to Herzlich) had, in fact, moved to middle linebacker in 2010 to replace his afflicted friend, and when he declared early for the NFL draft as a completed junior, Mark knew he'd be a high pick.

"Luke is a good player, a very good player," he said on the campus, having gone through a television interview and waiting to get into the cafeteria for lunch. "I was glad for him. I know him well, and I know he's rooting for me, too."

Asked if he had the choice that Hermann will have, which one of the players would he start? He grinned. "I'd start me," he said. "There is no doubt that I'm going to be a starter. It will happen sooner or later and I'm rooting for sooner."

A bit of reflection now. "I am almost sure I would have been a first round pick," he said, "but you know, things happen for a reason. I got a Super Bowl experience, even on the practice squad. Going to that game, being on the sidelines, going to the ring ceremony, the parade in Manhattan, those were experiences I probably would never have had. And you know, I think this team is more motivated than ever, because it's so hard to repeat as Super Bowl champions and we have that chance."

Will it be with Herzlich as the starter in the middle? "We'll see," said Coughlin. "This is the chance for both of them. There are four preseason games. They'll be very important."

Coughlin is a fan of both guys. Herzlich because of his history, his gallantry; Blackburn because of his drive and determination, because he makes up for a somewhat limited skill-set with heart. Remember, Blackburn was a mid-season cut last year, went home, studied for a teacher's certificate and then was called back. He played and he started and he had a major impact on the Super Bowl victory over the New England Ballards.

The toughest thing for Herzlich now? "The same as it was in college," he smiled. "It's that instant play recognition. You have a split second to decide what to do, what's happening, and then you just react."

He stopped, stared up at something only he could see, and then said, plaintively: "You know, it's nice to look at my future and just see football," he murmured. "It's hard to say how important this is for me."

No, Mark. It isn't. Your face is an open book.

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

NEW - Send a request to davesklein@aol.com for a free week's worth of news!

Stop in and visit "Mike's Keys to the Internet"
Links to every newspaper and magazine that's available on the net. 

Website by Mike