Faces of Xavier: Marc Bisogno '16

By Nick Byrne '11

Sports test your ability to remain strong in the face of adversity. They underline the importance of passion, discipline, and desire through practice, hard work, and performance.

Ultimately, sports teach young men not to ask “Why me?” when the going gets tough, but rather “How am I going to deal with this?”

Nothing can be more apt to describe Marc Bisogno ’16.

Last May, the right-handed pitcher felt his elbow pop during a playoff game. Bisogno tore his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and would undergo Tommy John surgery performed by Christopher S. Ahmad, the New York Yankees team doctor.

During Tommy John surgery, the UCL is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. Rehabilitation usually takes about a year. In some cases, up to two years are needed for athletes to return to their previous level of ability.

This time last year, Fordham University offered Bisogno a full athletic scholarship, but "Tommy John surgery" are three of the most haunting words in baseball culture. The right-hander will be sidelined for the entire 2016 season, which raised red flags for several of the Division I programs that had been courting the Staten Island native.

But the Rams kept their offer on the table and would ultimately be rewarded for their loyalty as Bisogno signed his national letter of intent to attend Fordham on November 16.

“Fordham stood by me,” Bisogno said. “I’m looking forward to taking the mound for them.”