Heckel Named to 2019 Rare Disease Champion Team - Syracuse University Athletics

PHILADELPHIA – A finalist for the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award in 2018, Syracuse redshirt junior offensive lineman Sam Heckel was named to the 2019 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team on Thursday, Dec. 12.

For the past 12 years, Uplifting Athletes has recognized a Rare Disease Champion. Starting in 2019, the focus of the Rare Disease Champion Award shifts from highlighting one individual to a team concept that provides an opportunity to recognize leaders in college football that have made a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community.

This year's five-member team includes Heckel, Kent State wide receiver Antwan Dixon, Davidson linebacker George Hatalowich, Penn student assistant Anthony Lotti and Kentucky linebacker Josh Paschal.

Heckel was diagnosed with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare blood disorder, when he was a toddler. The disease is caused by a lack of the ADAMTS13 enzyme, which is needed to break down large proteins. To make up for the deficiency, Heckel must undergo 14 to 20 hours of plasma therapy every three weeks to ensure his platelet count is normal.

Despite the disease, Heckel has played in 26 games (13 starts) over the past three seasons for the Orange at guard and center. In 1,514 career snaps, he's recorded 61.5 knockdown blocks. Heckel started at center in the 2019 season opener at Liberty. He played 38 snaps before exiting the game due to injury and missed the remainder of the season. Additionally, Heckel is in his second year as the president of Syracuse's chapter of Uplifting Athletes. He's organized the group's last two "Lift for Life" events, which have raised a combined $15,000 to benefit the rare disease community.

"We feel strongly that our obligation to the rare disease community is to share the powerful and compelling stories of people inside college football who have lived the rare disease journey, as patients and advocates," Uplifting Athletes Executive Director and former Syracuse team captain Rob Long said. "I believe this will be the start of a tradition recognizing those in college football like Sam who are inspiring, serving and supporting those who need it the most."

The 2019 Rare Disease Champion Team will be celebrated at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey on March 6, 2020 and at Uplifting Athletes' Young Investigator Draft at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on March 7, 2020.

ABOUT UPLIFTING ATHLETES
Founded in 2007, Uplifting Athletes fulfills its mission to inspire the rare disease community with hope through the power of sport with a network of more than 20 college football student-athlete led chapters, Uplifting Ambassadors and Team UA participants. Since its inception, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $5 million to support that mission and its charitable programs. To learn more about Uplifting Athletes, visit upliftingathletes.org.

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