Former Minerva football player Derek Hurst chosen as donor from Be The Match Registry

Derek Hurst knew he would get the call one day. The 2021 Minerva High School graduate never thought it would happen so fast.

Hurst was picked this spring as a donor from the Be The Match registry. Be The Match is a program driven to save lives of those with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, and others who have blood disorders such as sickle cell.

Hurst's college football team at Hiram hosted a Be The Match registry program in April. The junior offensive lineman was quickly picked as a match. On June 27 in Chicago, he donated his stem cells and platelets to a patient in need of a transplant.

"They say on average the wait is five years," Hurst said. "I was expecting a call eventually. It doesn't feel real until you are matched."

Many college athletics programs around the country host Be The Match registry programs each year. "Hundreds of thousands of collegiate athletes" have joined the registry, according to the Be The Match website.

Former Hiram assistant coach Xavier Dupree donated his bone marrow in February after he was selected as a match from the 2022 registry. Overall, the Terriers have had more than 100 people sign up in each of the last two years.

"We wanted to get as many signed up as we could," Hurst said.

Hurst was awake for the outpatient procedure. He had to stay in the hospital for a few hours to make sure enough stem cells were removed and any bleeding was stopped.

Hurst knows the gender and age of the person who received his stem cells and platelets, but prefers to keep it confidential. He said the recipient could contact him in a year if he or she chooses.

"I think for Derek, this is outstanding for what he wants to do with his life," Hiram head football coach Jack Mrozinski said in a university release. "His whole deal is 'How can he help others?' This gave him an opportunity to do that."

Life already has returned to normal for Hurst. After recovering for just over a week, he went back to work with his father in his landscaping business on Thursday.

"I feel pretty good," Hurst said. "When you get a call like that, you want to help anybody you can."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hiram football player Derek Hurst picked as Be The Match donor