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Rhode Island lineman Matt Greenhalgh joined Matt Sczcur in becoming a hero to someone in need of a marrow donation through Be The Match. It is no coincidence that college football players are becoming bone marrow donors -- a program started by Villanova's Andy Talley has worked to register college football players and other members of the university community at over 30 schools.
Coach Talley's "Get in the Game" program has registered 1,300 people at Villanova over the past two years, including 600 this year, during it's annual spring testing drive. The program has been active at Villanova since 1992, and the effort has added 18,000 potential donors to the marrow registry.
Since that time, three Villanova football players have been matched with someone in need of a marrow donation. The most recent was Matt Szczur, currently playing professional baseball, who's donation became national news when the team made a run to the national championship while the donation was pending.
Though over 20 million people are registered as marrow donors, the process of matching a donor to a recipient is so difficult that there are only about 250 matches found each year -- a 1-in-80,000 chance that a registered donor will be a match.
For more information on the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, check out talleybonemarrow.org.
If you are interested in signing up to be tested for a match, a simple process that consists of a cheek swab and a pre-paid return envelope, CLICK HERE. You can also register in-person at a marrow-drive event.