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September 7, 2010

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich said it was a special moment for him just seconds before leading his teammates through the tunnel and out to the field before the Eagles' season opener on Sunday, reports NESN.com.

The senior linebacker returned to football Saturday for the first time since 2008--Herzlich missed the entire 2009 campaign while receiving treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

"To be honest, I got a little emotional," Herzlich said on Monday's edition of NESN Daily. "I saw the fans, I knew my parents were up there, my friends from home, it was pretty special."

Watch a video of Mark Herzlich:

Herzlich has been cancer-free since October, and has collected roughly $200,000 for Ewing's sarcoma research.

The linebacker kept a stiff upper lip during his first game back, despite the emotional comeback. "If [opposing team] Weber State saw me crying then they would have just said, 'Hey, let's go after that guy," he said. In the end, Herzlich and his teammates were all smiles—the Eagles beat the Wildcats 38-20.

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