- We would now like to introduce this year's
Phanstiel Lecturer, Rob Long, who graduated in 2012 with
degree from Whitman and 2014 with a Master's in Newhouse.
He was also a captain on SU's 2010
Pinstripe Bowl-winning football team.
Rob, please join us on stage.
(applause)
- Thank you guys so much for having me today.
It's an unbelievable honor to be here.
When Megan had reached out to me and asked me to come back,
and told me about the honor of being nominated for this
award, it was incredibly humbling and it's been amazing.
Yesterday was a special day for me and for my family,
I celebrated seven years since my first clean MRI,
so I've been seven years cancer free yesterday.
(applause)
I only bring that up for the story that follows,
but I had a chance to kind of sit and reflect yesterday
about what has occurred and the motion of events
that have happened since I was diagnosed.
I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity
to play football at Syracuse and it was one of the most
amazing experiences that I've ever had.
You talked about when you came on campus
you knew almost instantly,
and the first time that I walked into the Carrier Dome,
I just turned to my parents and said,
"This is the most amazing place
I've ever been in my entire life."
I was so fortunate to be able to play and, for four years,
be a part of the team, a part of the university there.
After I was diagnosed, I think that's when I really realized
the power of Syracuse and the community.
And not a day went by that I came home from treatment
and my mailbox was completely full with letters
and with gifts. It was just unbelievable.
I knew I was very fortunate that I had that support
and the university, and the people in the community,
and the alumni base are just second to none.
It's something that, it opened my eyes about, you know,
when I went to Syracuse and I chose this university,
it was a decision that I made that impacted the rest
of my life and it was the best decision that I've ever made.
As I went through treatment and I was fortunate enough to
become healthier as time went on,
I kind of realized what a gift that I'd been given.
When Sam Rodgers called me in 2012, he asked me,
"Would you mind if I started the
Syracuse chapter of Uplifting Athletes..."
(adjusts microphone)
Sorry about that.
"...the Syracuse chapter of Uplifting Athletes
in your honor?" I was kind of awestruck.
I said, "I don't understand what this is all about."
He explained the organization and what Uplifting Athletes
does is it gives student athletes who have an unbelievable
platform to use that platform for good.
And it enables those student athletes to have an impact for
people that don't have a very large voice individually.
The rare disease community, of which I'm a part of,
it's one that needs a lot of people
who have the platform and the voice to speak up.
One of the unfortunate things of being
a rare disease patient is that when you walk into that room
and they tell you that you have whatever disease,
you often hear it's followed by, "We don't have a cure
and we're not really sure what we can do for you."
When I was diagnosed with my brain cancer, I kind of felt
that I was only specifically identifying with other people
who had been diagnosed with brain cancer,
and I had the opportunity to meet so many other people
who had these various, different rare diseases,
and I came to find out that our stories were all so similar.
When Sam came to me and I started to learn about
Uplifting Athletes and he started the Syracuse chapter
here on campus, I was immediately enthralled and wanted to
be involved as much as I could.
About a year-and-a-half ago, I joined the organization
full time and now I'm fortunate to wake up every day
and do something that I truly love and be able to give
back to those people who, I was one.
So, by being able to do that and the growth of
the Uplifting Athletes and the chapter here at Syracuse,
we're the fastest growing chapter that we have with
the organization and it's been so inspiring that my school
has been able to do that and to step up,
and that's all just all attributed to the community
and the alumni and the football program that's been able
to support us and be a part of that.
When we talk about being "Forever Orange," I truly...
Like I said, I sat down yesterday, and there's just
no place I would rather have gone to school,
there's no place I would rather be right now,
and there's really...
I would not be at where I am in my life
without this university and the people who work here,
who live here, and have gone here.
It's been incredible to be a part of that.
For me, like I said, to wake up, to work with
Uplifting Athletes in the chapters all across the country,
and to see the job the student athletes have done
at Syracuse, and what it's grown from in 2012
to 2017 and beyond has been truly humbling.
I can't be grateful enough for everybody's support
and for being asked to be here.
Somebody asked me beforehand, they said,
"What's it like to come back and speak and to be honored?"
And I said, "It's so hard to put into words
because I feel so indebted to this university
and everything that it's given me,
that it's just another thing that I feel like I'll
never be able to pay back."
It's just been such an incredible honor to be here
and to be a part of this.
To all the students in the room, and the people if you have
friends or family considering this university,
I can speak from firsthand experience that it is one
of the most powerful and inspiring groups,
from an alumni base and from the students themselves.
There's incredible people at this university who are
able to accomplish incredible things,
and I think that's a really special thing that we have here.
I thank you guys all so much for having me here
to be a part of this and I, like I said,
just couldn't be happier to be here.
So, thank you guys so much.
(applause)