Back to the Colorado Buffaloes Newsfeed

Be The Match: Buffs' McCartney To Donate Marrow

Related Topics: Bone marrow, Colorado, Blood donation

BOULDER — Colorado outside linebacker Derek McCartney missed the first day of spring football drills Wednesday, and he won’t be practicing Friday, either.

He has a good reason — a very good reason.

McCartney is donating blood marrow to a cancer patient. As CU head coach Mike MacIntyre so succinctly put it, “He’s going to save a life.”

McCartney’s community service is part of MacIntyre’s “Be the Match” program, part of a nationwide effort that saves thousands of lives every year by matching blood marrow from donors with people who have been diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.