Road to recovery for BC's Herzlich nearing end

A flag football game is typically a silly activity. Out of shape wimps gather in someone's yard and play a game of no-touch football.

But when that game is hosted by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at Harvard Stadium, the same can't be said.

When the game features Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who is recovering from cancer, it becomes something completely different.

Herzlich had leg surgery in November to treat a rare form of bone cancer. Held out of BC's spring game, Herzlich said he's at 80 or 85 percent physically.

The flag game was his public showing on a football field since a 2008 season where he had 110 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and six interceptions.

"As of about a month ago, the flexibility is back, everything is firing," he told ESPN.com. "So right now I'm just strengthening my leg, trying to get my left leg up even with my right leg, and that's kind of what the process this summer is going to be like."

As a prospect, Herzlich's range, agility and motor are hard to ignore. He might not have the best speed, but Herzlich can range all over the field and run with most tight ends in coverage. His instincts are sound and he has good leadership ability.

Herzlich was reportedly given a better draft grade than Ndamukong Suh prior to last season by NFL scouts. Herzlich was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and is the frontrunner again in 2010.

As a linebacker who is 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, it would be nice to see Herzlich do a little more as a pass rusher. In his career he only has five sacks. While he doesn't have trouble getting off blocks, he's not as explosive off the snap as you'd like.

The ceiling for Herzlich coming into 2009 was somewhere in the top 10 picks. He'll have to show the leg issue is in the past to regain that status this year.