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New York Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Raiders rookie OT Charles Grant more than a small-school prospect: ‘He's truly special'
William & Mary football coach Mike London was an assistant at Boston College in 2000 when he learned that his daughter, Ticynn, was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder that can lead to cancer and bone marrow failure. London and his wife sought a match through the National Marrow Donor Program but couldn't find one. Advertisement London had his other children tested, but they weren't a match, either. With desperation setting in, London and his wife got tested. London came up as a match, and he and Ticynn underwent a transplant in 2003 that ultimately saved her life. The experience moved London to lead and participate in bone marrow drives throughout his coaching career. When he brought it up during spring practice in 2022, a young offensive lineman named Charles Grant was quick to add his name to the national bone marrow registry. Grant went on to become a starter at left tackle that season. He played well enough to land on the radar of NFL scouts. 'That was when the thought was like, 'I can actually do this,'' Grant said last month. 'It's something that I grabbed and just tried to strive for.' Then, in May 2023, he was notified that he had been identified as a match for a Hodgkin's lymphoma patient. He called the coaching staff to notify them that he'd be following through as a donor. 'When they called him and said, 'Hey, you're a match,' there was no hesitation,' former William & Mary offensive line coach Mario Acitelli said recently. 'It wasn't like, 'Oh, well, let's see what kind of procedure it would need to be to determine if I'm going to do it.' It was like, 'I can save somebody's life? Hell yeah, I'm doing it.'' Grant underwent a successful peripheral blood stem cell donation shortly after. His taking the time to do that, even as he aspired to play in the NFL, resonated with William & Mary players and coaches alike. 'I tell you what, man, you're talking to a guy that saved his daughter's life, and when you get a guy like that,' London said Tuesday before taking a moment to gather his emotions. 'That's a big-time deal. It's a character thing that I see in him. He's truly special. I love the guy because of what he stands for.' This offseason, under general manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll, the Las Vegas Raiders placed an increased emphasis on character when deciding whether a player was worth adding to the team. As much as Grant's 6-foot-5, 309-pound frame, exceptional athleticism, uncommon movement skills and ability to manhandle defenders got their attention in the draft process, so did who he was as a person. Advertisement 'He's a man of high character,' London said. 'I'm so proud of him, of what he's done and what he's still yet to do.' The top-30 visit Grant took to Raiders headquarters leading up to the draft confirmed he was the total package. And when Grant was still on the board at pick No. 99 in the third round, the Raiders didn't hesitate. 'A good athlete and a good person,' Spytek said last month. 'He can really move his feet and run into space. (Offensive coordinator) Chip (Kelly) is super fired up about getting him in there. He fits the scheme great.' Grant is aware of the negative stigma often attached to prospects from small schools like William & Mary, an FCS program. There's typically some doubt they'll be able to cut it against NFL-level talent. While Grant acknowledges it'll be a steep uptick in competition, he believes he can silence the skeptics. 'I have a chip on my shoulder,' Grant said. 'I know what I can do. I've just got to prove it to everybody.' day one @CharlesGrant51#TribeInTheNFL | #RaiderNation 📸 @Raiders — William & Mary Tribe Football (@WMTribeFootball) May 10, 2025 Grant didn't play sports until he picked up wrestling in seventh grade, and he didn't play football until he was a junior at Churchland High in Portsmouth, Va. The coaching staff put him at left tackle and, while he was raw, he showed some early flashes that he attributed to his wrestling background. '(It was) the mental fortitude. It takes a lot to go out on the mat and just keep doing it even when you're dog tired,' Grant said. '(You have to) just keep fighting and finishing the match. … I used to wrestle for like four hours a day. I know I can persevere through anything I've been going through. … And I'd also say my ability to move off the ball, be quick, be nimble and cut the backside off, just things like that. I knew how to position my body.' Advertisement Nonetheless, Grant remained a no-star recruit. He weighed just 240 pounds and hadn't participated in many camps since he continued to wrestle. He landed a Division II offer from Virginia-Wise following his junior season, and his only Division I offer came from William & Mary. Grant committed to William & Mary at the start of his senior year. He received more offers after earning first-team all-region honors that season but stuck with his pledge since William & Mary is less than an hour from his hometown and the Tribe staff showed faith in him early. 'He was an offensive lineman that had some growth and development still left to do,' London said, 'but he had measurables, he was athletic and he had a great attitude.' When Grant enrolled in 2020, his first order of business was bulking up. Even at the FCS level, 240 pounds wouldn't cut it at offensive tackle. He redshirted as a freshman and spent that time improving his physique, refining his technique and working on the team's zone-based blocking scheme. Grant progressed enough to start five games the next season, but the real turning point came in 2022. William & Mary was down to just five scholarship offensive linemen, and then one got hurt in fall camp. That put more pressure on Grant to step up. Grant started every game that season, and then did the same in 2023 on his way to being named a first-team FCS All-American. 'The confidence level (went up),' Acitelli said. 'Once he knew, 'Hey, I can be good at this and I can be dominant,' it really started to take off.' Thank you!! — Charles Grant (@CharlesGrant51) April 29, 2025 Following that breakout 2023 season, Grant had several opportunities to leave William & Mary for a bigger program. FBS teams attempted to poach him with lucrative NIL offers. 'There were some teams that offered him a lot of money to forgo his last year here and go to their place,' London said. Grant knew William & Mary wouldn't be able to match those deals, but he turned them down anyway. The biggest reason Grant stuck with the Tribe was the connection he had with his teammates over four years. They voted to name him a team captain, and he went on to have his best collegiate season as he was again named a first-team FCS All-American. Advertisement 'William & Mary had given him an opportunity, and he wanted to make sure he finished it with those guys,' Acitelli said. 'He was dominant. I mean, he was throwing guys around and knocking guys down on an almost play-by-play basis. He was cutting guys off. We never had to worry about, 'Yeah, if we run the ball to the right, is he going to be able to cut off the 4i or the three technique?' That wasn't an issue. And then we knew when we ran to this side, there was going to be movement on the front side. It was a pretty awesome deal. … 'I moved from offensive line (coach) to offensive coordinator last year. I still coached the offensive line, but then on game day, I was trying to do two different things. … It forced (Grant) to become even more of a leader on game day and be more vocal.' .@WMTribeFootball @CharlesGrant51 what a fascinating prospect. Great length; Great feet; lots of action. Good coaching; more strength and we have a starting tackle in the NFL #nfldraft #BaldysBreakdowns — Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 20, 2025 London compared Grant to a smaller version of former NFL offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who was drafted fourth overall in 2006 and went on to become a three-time Pro Bowl selection. That's a lofty expectation, and Grant has plenty to work on before he gets there. Most notably, Grant remains light for a left tackle. He needs to continue getting stronger and adding mass. Without that, he won't be able to anchor and handle the more powerful rushers in the NFL. Concerns about his size, the consistency of his technique, coming from an FCS program and a late-season knee injury that rendered him unable to participate in the Senior Bowl or test at the combine hurt his draft stock. The Raiders drafted him even though there isn't a clear path to immediate playing time with Kolton Miller entrenched at left tackle. It'd be more feasible for Grant to compete with DJ Glaze at right tackle, but switching sides isn't as easy and requires a significant amount of mental and physical adjustments. The Raiders plan to cross-train him to see if he can pull it off. 'We do not hold them back and keep them out of the fire,' Carroll said. 'We're going to put them in there right away and let them see where they stack up.' Advertisement Something that'll help Grant is that he's a good fit for Kelly's system, which utilizes a zone-based blocking scheme similar to the one he played in at William & Mary. That and his unique combination of traits will give him a shot to compete for a role early on. 'I have great athletic ability,' Grant said, 'but if I can put the perfect technique to that, I know I'd become a player that's unstoppable.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Yale University holds annual bone marrow honor registration drive
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Yale University held its 17th annual 'Mandi Schwartz Marrow Donor Registration Drive' Tuesday, in an effort to save lives and honor a former hockey player who lost her battle with cancer. The anniversary is especially meaningful, as 17 was Mandi Schwartz's jersey number. Branford boy with leukemia finds bone marrow match with help from Dan and Andrea Hurley 'To find out that she needed a matching donor, to have the transplant that could save her life, that just inspired everybody on the campus to try to go out, add to the registry, and hopefully find a matching donor for her,' Yale's assistant director of strategic communications, Sam Rubin, said. Despite their best efforts to find her a match, the 23-year-old lost her battle with acute myeloid leukemia in 2011. However, her legacy lives on through the marrow drives, which have now spread to over 300 schools across the country as part of the NMDP 'Get in the Game'' campaign. 'We heard about Mandi's story and about how hard it is to find a match and we all kind of step up and play our part and try to help everyone who needs it,' Yale hockey player Owen Forester said. Since Yale started doing the drives in 2009, they've added about 10,000 potential donors and over 100 matches for patients. Connecticut Families: Brookfield dad gets bone marrow transplant from professional lacrosse player The registration process takes just a few minutes and involves a cheek swab. Anyone between 18 and 40 can sign up. NMDP said for matches, the procedure is not painful or overly invasive. 'Ninety percent of the donations at this point are what's called a peripheral blood stem cell donation,' which is very similar to a plasma donation that many people are familiar with, according to member recruitment coordinator Jessica Pacheco. 'The 10 percent is that bone marrow donation, which is needed for our pediatric patients, aggressive cancers. But even that's outpatient now, it's not nearly as invasive as it used to be,' Pacheco said. Yale officials said their goal this year is to get over 600 people to sign up. 'We're going to shoot through that, get as many people as we can and save some lives,' Yale men's soccer player Conrad Lee said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mid Valley alumni, athlete fights leukemia, asks for help from the public
Mid Valley High School graduate Eddie Kaufman has always been a team player, whether on the baseball field or the golf course. The Roanoke College sophomore is now engaged in a different kind of team effort in a battle against T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kaufman's former classmates, his friends, neighbors and the community are coming together to find a blood stem cell donor for Kaufman. 'Team Eddie K' is working with the National Marrow Donor Program, or NMDP, to find a life-saving match for Kaufman, who is currently at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The registry has a '9 out of 10' match for Kaufman, but his doctors say a perfect '10 out of 10' match will reduce the chances he will reject the stem cells. Events in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties will provide a chance for potential donors ages 18-40 to do a swab test to see if they are a potential match for Kaufman and also place their names on the national NMDP registry. Potential donors can also swab the inside of their cheek at home and mail the test in. Brian Kaufman, Eddie's father, said the family is beyond grateful to members of the community that have enthusiastically responded when they found out his son needed help. Kaufman looks back to last fall when his son called from college complaining of swollen lymph nodes. The family thought the swollen nodes were related to dental work and an oral surgeon put him on antibiotics. The antibiotics didn't work and when Kaufman made a trip home to Throop, it was apparent his lymph nodes were extremely swollen. He went to his pediatrician and was referred to the Children Hospital's of Philadelphia for treatment. Kaufman said his son had been in extremely good shape, worked out regularly and was a rising star on his college baseball team. College coaches said they hadn't seen any signs Eddie Kaufman was ill. And, although the family is hoping their efforts will find a perfect match for Eddie Kaufman, Brian Kaufman said Eddie is aware that in working to get people on the registry, he's also helping others in need of a stem cell transplant. 'Eddie has always been part of a team. He's always been part of a group,' Brian Kaufman said during an interview at the Throop Civic Center. 'This is a different kind of a team.' The center will open its doors Wednesday and Thursday from 5-7 p.m. for a 'Help Eddie Kaufman Fight Leukemia Swab Event.' Similar events will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Lackawanna County Government Center and the Luzerne County UFCO, Jenkins Twp. Brian Kaufman said donors recover quickly after making a stem cell donation, likening it to a plasma donation. According to the NMDP registry website, 90% of donors donate through a process called 'peripheral blood cell donation' and are generally able to return to work the day after donating and are fully recovered within a week. Friends in the battle Eddie Kaufman may have chosen to move out of state to attend college, but he's remained close with friends from the area. When those friends found out he was sick, they took to their cellphones and asked in a group chat, 'What can we do to help Eddie?' Jaden Carroll poses with cutouts of his Mid Valley alumni Eddie Kaufman. Kaufman is battling leukemia. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) Jaden Carroll and Emily Deoliveira were among those classmates who stepped up and will be volunteering at the donation events. 'We actually hung out at week before he left for college and everything was great,' Deoliveira said. 'A couple weeks into college, we heard that he was sick.' After the friend group found out it was leukemia, they sprang into action. 'All of our friends talked about what we could do to help him,' she said. 'Recently we found out we could do the swabbing because he needs a perfect match.' Deoliveira said the swabbing is a very easy process, pointing out it's much easier then swabbing for COVID. 'We've done it and now we're trying to get other people to do it as well,' she said. For information about opportunities to donate access the 'Team Eddie K' website at
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard helps bring attention to bone-marrow needs
If an onlooker standing outside the Ohio Union on March 27 asked what the long line snaking around the building was for, anyone in the line would have probably had the right answer: Will Howard. But there's more to the story. Two months before Ohio State's star quarterback spent that Thursday afternoon posing for photos and signing autographs, he was sent a message by 21-year-old Charlotte "Charley" Bauer. On Jan. 29, Bauer wrote the following note from the hospital to Ohio State's star quarterback, thanking him for his advocacy for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). 'My name is Charley Bauer, and I am a nursing student at Ohio State. This past year, I've been battling high-risk acute myeloid leukemia at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Recently, someone sent me a video of you raising awareness for the NMDP registry, and I love that you are advocating for donors to join! I received my stem cell transplant last September, and I have been in remission ever since. I'm still not fully recovered from the transplant, but I'm working really hard to get there," the message read. 'I don't think students fully grasp how crucial a stem cell transplant is to patients in need. I wouldn't be here today without mine, and I carry that knowledge with me every day. Diving into the actual impact students can make if they say 'yes' to being a donor could inspire more people to get swabbed. If you ever want to collaborate on something — now or in the future — I'd love to help share my experience.' The message, provided by the NMDP, never made it to Howard while Bauer was still alive. The Ohio State nursing student succumbed to her fight to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on Feb. 16. In a quote provided via the NMDP, Charley's mother, Alyssa, noted the importance of joining the stem cell registry to provide those who are battling the same journey the chance to survive. "Our family is extremely grateful for each individual who joins the NMDP stem cell registry. Although Charley was unable to secure her perfect 10 out of 10 match, she would be honored to know that her story has helped grow the registry for others in need," she said. "From the moment she was diagnosed, Charley was determined to survive AML and the transplant. She fought her battles with everything she had. Through it all, she remained positive, optimistic and connected with her nurses, doctors and patients on the oncology floor of Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Her final words were 'It will be OK,' and 'I can do hard things.' The world is certainly missing out on having Charley here with us. She was destined to do great things not only as a future nurse, but as a kind and compassionate human. She leaves behind a legacy of courage, hope and above all else, pure love.' Just a month after Bauer's death, the NMDP, in partnership with Ohio State's Be The Match Club, held a drive in her memory. Howard joined the event, as did other student athletes and a fleet of Buckeye Paws therapy dogs — including dogs Bo, Norman, Shiloh and Indy — as Bauer was a dog lover whose special joy was the Butterfly Paws team at Nationwide. To remember Bauer's legacy and encourage students and faculty to sign up for the bone marrow registry, the celebration reminded the community of her core message through treatment: "I can do hard things." Attending the registry drive as a friend to both Bauer and Howard, 10-year-old Katelyn Weirich floated around the crowd with her parents, Tara and Jeff. Looking out at the long line of people patiently waiting to meet with Howard, Tara Weirich said she was "super happy" for what it meant for the NMDP registry. "Katelyn and Charley were friends. We were both praying for each other for a long time. Her mom and I are friends now," Weirich said. "If she (Charley) would have had a 10 out of 10 match, then it could have saved her life. There were three people in the whole world that had a 10 out of 10 for her and weren't able to donate at the time, so we need more people in the registry so there can be a greater number than three in the entire world." Ohio State's Be The Match Club president Shreaya Madireddy said she started the chapter to diversify and grow the NMDP bone marrow registry. "Matching is based on your HLA (human leukocyte antigen) type, which is based on your background. Since OSU has so many students with so many different backgrounds, we thought this would be the perfect place to start a club," Madireddy said. "Right now, we're honoring Charley." Howard said he has been involved with the NMDP — formerly called Be The Match — for several years, inspired by his mother, Maureen, who worked as an occupational therapist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The 23-year-old quarterback, originally from Pennsylvania, started a drive at Kansas State University, but he wasn't able to participate last year due to the quick turnaround while moving his college football career to Ohio State. "It's such an easy process to swap somebody's mouth and get them on the registry. There could be somebody out there that could be the match for one of these kids that has these blood cancers, or one of these adults, and need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant," Howard said. "I try to encourage as many people as I can to get on and help save a life because I've seen that three or four people that I've gotten on the registry have saved lives now, and it's crazy." Noting the March 27 drive had already surpassed its goal as of an hour before its scheduled end time, Howard said he was happy to be able to participate this year. "It's way more important than anything I do on the field. I love what I do on the field, but, I mean, this is what it's really about," he said. Sophia Veneziano is a Columbus Dispatch reporter supported by the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation. She may be reached at sveneziano@ The Dispatch retains full editorial independence for all content. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Howard, National Marrow Donor Program host OSU registry event
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
KU Cancer Center recognized for transplant that saved 1-year-old's life
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Heroic staff members and medical professionals at the are being nationally recognized for giving yet another patient — a 1-year-old child — a 'fighting chance to survive and thrive.' The KU Cancer Center, one of the most prestigious cancer research hospitals in the nation, has been awarded the 2024 Service Award by the after its staff successfully collected donor blood stem cells within 48 hours for an infant patient — a process that typically takes weeks or months. Kansas Highway Patrol says seatbelt saved man's life in rollover crash 'Faced with an urgent bone marrow harvest request, KU Cancer Center demonstrated professionalism that went above and beyond the ordinary,' said Jamie Margolis, Vice President, Member, Donor & Product Operations at NMDP. 'These healthcare professionals worked with speed, efficiency and determination. Their ability to remove obstacles made the path forward simpler, easier and, mostly importantly, lifesaving.' According to the NMDP, staff were faced with a short, two-day window and many geographical challenges to retrieve the bone marrow. The donor, who was based in Texas, wasn't able to donate locally due to Hurricane Beryl back in June 2024, leaving staff in an unprecedented situation. The NMDP said that, due to the team's 'swift action' and 'determination,' yet another successful bone marrow collection and transfer was completed, giving the 1-year-old child another chance at life. Ralph Yarl's mother speaks out after trial avoided in son's shooting 'Here at KU, it's always 'patients first,'' said Dr. Leyla Shune, Associate Professor of Medicine at KU Medical Center. 'When a patient is in need of a transplant, we do everything we can to help.' Patients suffering from blood cancers and diseases often only have a chance to survive with the help of bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants. According to the NMDP, about 70% of all patients don't have a matching donor in their families, leaving them to rely on a volunteer donor. The generosity of the donor, the heroic efforts of transplant center physicians, the hard work of the NMDP, which facilitates and coordinates the transplants, and the courage of the recipients are all critical factors that ensure a successful procedure. Now, the KU Cansas Center staff is being rightfully recognized as an 'exceptional' team that is capable of 'turning matches into life-saving outcomes.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
