Bleacher Report - Articles by Jake Novak

Day 59: The Head Hog

Jake Novak — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:22:00 -0400

The Head Hog

George Starke '71 came to Columbia in 1967 fully expecting to be through with football within a couple years and concentrating on his studies and career plans after that.

It didn't turn out that way.

A heavily recruited lineman, Starke got offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Illinois, Syracuse and Virginia before deciding Columbia was the best place for him because he expected to quit sports anyway.

Two years later, he was the Lions biggest lineman at 245 pounds, doubling as the starting center on the nationally-ranked basketball team, and lobbying hard for the tight end job that he finally convinced head coach Frank Navarro to give him for the 1969 season.

Starke's senior season was his best, creating great running lanes outside the numbers and grabbing 11 passes for 185 yards. He just missed out on the spectacular 1971 season, but many Columbia insiders say he was one of the players who helped pave the way.

He was drafted by the Redskins in the 11th round, released and then finally made it back to the team for the '72 season.

He was still starting for the offensive line in 1982 when the Skins won their first Super Bowl title and he became the leader of the famous "Hogs."

I interviewed George during halftime of the Towson game last year and he lived up to his reputation as a great conversationalist. He also spent most of the interview rubbing his obviously oft-operated on leg, which was clearly aching in the damp weather that evening.

Today Starke runs the Excel Institute, which he founded. It's a school with a training program that provides $20,000 in annual scholarships for vocational training in the field of automotive technology for at-risk youth and adults. It's not a hand out, but a place where people learn a trade. What a concept!

Day 60: Upperco's Upper Hand

Jake Novak — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:22:00 -0400

There are a few pieces of news of keen interest to Lion's fans that I've neglected to mention over the past few days.

Army and Notre Dame have agreed to resume their rivalry, with games at the new Yankee Stadium.

I think this is a great development for college football in New York City. The question is: will this be a good development for Fordham, and perhaps by extension, Columbia?

There was talk when Fordham announced the shift to athletic scholarships for football that the ultimate goal was to get some home games at Yankee Stadium, and reap the potential big-time revenues from games with Army, Navy, and perhaps Notre Dame, (although that game would almost definitely have to be in South Bend, I can't imagine the Irish agreeing to travel for Fordham).

The Army-Notre Dame deal may or may not hurt Fordham's chances.

On one hand, it may crowd out the Rams if Army grabs whatever dates are available on the Yankee Stadium schedule. If they force up the price, Fordham would have to pay to use the field.

On the other hand, the folks in charge of the stadium may find that football works well at the venue and try to keep the field in use as much as possible in hopes of paying back the considerable number of bondholders who financed the very expensive facility. Fordham might be the beneficiary of some free beta testing here.

If Fordham does end up clinching some home dates at Yankee Stadium in the future, and if the Columbia-Fordham rivalry continues for the coming years, I know I would be thrilled to see the Lions and Rams hook up at the big stadium in the Bronx.

Even if a scholarship-strengthened Fordham becomes a University of New Hampshire-type powerhouse, I think it may be worth it to play them if we get a Yankee Stadium date.

That's just my opinion...and a lot of wishful thinking.

I know I have written a lot about Old Dominion's launching of a football program already, but check out this page (click on the link that shows an animated video of what they expect gameday to be like on a typical Saturday in Norfolk).

These guys have the right idea. Sorry to be so interested in ODU, but this is my childhood we're talking about here. AND, you have to love a school starting football in these economic times. Gutsy, and smart. Season tickets are already sold out.

And yes, I would love to see Columbia start playing ODU sometime in the future. That would be a lot of fun.

100 Players in 100 Days, the Tight Ends

Dan Upperco, '85–came to Columbia in 1981 from Orlando's Boone High school, where he was an all-state player. His brothers were football stars too; one of them played at U. of Miami, another at Tulane, and a third one at the University of the South.

Upperco had the very good fortune of being at Columbia when John Witkowski ('84) was the QB.

In his sophomore year of 1982, Upperco platooned at tight end with James Powell ('83), but he still made Honorable Mention All-Ivy, with 26 catches, 377 yards, and an incredible six touchdowns catches. At 6'4'' and 200 lbs, he was huge for a tight end at that time.

In '83, Upperco made First Team All-Ivy, and put up more monster numbers, but it was his senior year–after Witkowski had graduated–that may have been Dan's most impressive achievement.

Working with new QB Henry Santos ('86), Upperco still managed to lead the team in receiving, with 38 catches for 489 yards. He once again made First Team All-Ivy.

Upperco got a chance to crack the L.A. Raiders roster, (yes, they were in Los Angeles then), but never really made it as a regular player.

Today, Upperco is vice president of the NFL Players Association of Retired Players.

If all goes well, I hope to interview him during halftime of one of this coming season's games.

Day 61: RB from the OC

Jake Novak — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:23:00 -0400

Ray Rangel takes the carry (COURTESY: Columbia Athletics)

Ray Rangel '10

The enormous improvement in Columbia's running attack last year, not just compared to 2007, but compared to the many seasons beforehand, was truly a group effort.

The great running stats for QB's Millie Olawale and Shane Kelly, may leave people forgetting how much rising-star senior Ray Rangel helped the team and has improved since his freshman year.

Looking at Rangel's stats doesn't really tell much of the story, but he did improve to 329 yards rushing last season and posted a 3.6 yards per carry average, up slightly from 2007.

Ray stood out in a few goaline situations, where he found a way to squeeze through the little holes and get scores. He scored the first TD's in both of Columbia's two wins against Dartmouth and 2008. Also against Dartmouth, he put together a great run after a short dump-off pass to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.

All this from a 5-9 , 180-pound guy whose first love was playing hockey not far from the Duck Pond in Anaheim.

Ray came to Columbia in 2006 after his Servite High School team won a tough conference championship his senior season.

I don't know who, if anyone, will be the featured back in the Columbia offense this season. It could be a more spread-out team effort again this season. But Rangel has already contributed a lot to the team in his three seasons, and I would not be surprised to see him back in the mix in 2009.

Day 62: The Reese Express

Jake Novak — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:49:00 -0400

Reese had a cup of NFL coffee with the Jets

Johnathan Reese '02

Every once in a awhile, I wonder: did Johnathan Reese really play at Columbia? Did we really have a back that big, that fast, and that good on this team?

Of course the answer is "yes," but anyone who remembers seeing Reese play knows what I mean.

The St. Louis native came to Columbia thanks to his connections with his older cousin Kirby Mack '02, (he took a medical year), and some good recruiting by Head Coach Ray Tellier.

Reese made an immediate impact in his first game, rushing for 72 yards in limited duty in the Lions 24-0 shutout over Harvard in '98 season opener. From that point on, the Columbia coaches struggled to find the best ways to use Reese as much as possible.

That wasn't always easy with veteran runner Norman Hayes '99 getting most of the carries, but by 1999 Reese was getting a fair amount of touches as a rusher and receiver.

Still, Columbia's opponents knew Reese was coming and they stacked the line against him so much in his sophomore year that ended up with just 607 yards and 6 TD's that '99 season.

Then came the magical 2000 season, perhaps the most impressive individual year any Lion ball carrier has ever had.

Reese served notice around the league with a 180-yard performance against Fordham in a 43-26 win over the Rams at Wien Stadium.

Three weeks later against Lafayette at home, Reese's 201 yards paced the Lions in a 47-22 win.

And two weeks after that Reese had the ultimate game, a 236-yard performance against Dartmouth where he not only broke the single game Columbia rushing record, he came within just a few yards of the all-time career record which he broke the following week at Yale.

Reese finished 2000 with 1,330 yards, a 5.0-yards-per-carry average and 19 touchdowns.

Reese had a bulls eye on his back again in the 2001 season, and he finished with just 967 yards and 8 TD's, but one of those scores was a 33-yarder on 4th-and-4 in the fourth quarter to beat Cornell 35-28 in Ithaca... easily one of the most exciting moments in Lion history.

Reese currently holds many Columbia records, including that career rushing figure of 3,321 yards which is more than 1,300 yards greater than Lou Kusserow's total at No. 2.

After Columbia, Reese had some chances to break in with some NFL teams. His best chance came with the Jets, but nothing much ever seriously materialized.

But Reese's years at Columbia were real and they will never be forgotten.

Day 63: Solo Survivor

Jake Novak — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:27:00 -0400

Coach Mac brought Solo to CU... but couldn't find many more like him

Solomon Johnson '92

Greg Abbruzzese's running mate for four seasons at Columbia was the speedy Solomon Johnson, who began wowing the crowds at Wien Stadium as a Lion Cub freshman in 1987.

Johnson, or "Solo" as they called him, came to Columbia from East Orange, N.J., where he grew up the son of a football coach and starred at Montclair Kimberley Academy in football, lacrosse, basketball, and the school's jazz band.

As a frosh, he led the '87 Lion Cubs to their first-ever 6-0 season, rushing for 836 yards in those six games and scoring an amazing 16 touchdowns. His best game as a first-year was a 38-carry, 198-yard, 3-TD performance against Dartmouth.

As a sophomore on the varsity, Johnson had to split time with Abbruzzese in the backfield and they both had giant bullseyes on their backs for opposing defenses.

In a close Week 3 loss at Penn, Johnson was knocked out cold by the Penn defense as he was about to score the tying TD in the fourth quarter.

But he bounced right back the next week, helping the Lions end their 44-game losing streak with the stirring Homecoming win over Princeton.

Later in the year against Lehigh, Solo ripped off 179 yards in a loss.

Johnson finished 1988 with 707 yards rushing, which was good enough for fifth all time at Columbia at that time.

Then came the fateful 1989 season, where just a few weeks after Abbruzzese was lost for the year with a preseason injury, Johnson also had a season-ending injury.

He returned in 1990, but then Head Coach Ray Tellier was emphasizing passing by that time and he never dominated the offensive scheme again at CU.

Solo was more healed for his fifth year senior campaign of 1991, and he ended up leading the team with 522 yards rushing and a 5.0 yards-per-carry average on the year.

That season, he also became the third Columbia rusher to gain over 200 yards in one game, a 221-yard performance against Lehigh that was good for second all time in Columbia history at that point, (now third).

When I interviewed the man who recruited him, former Head Coach Larry MacElreavy, he told me if he had a few more Solomon Johnsons, Columbia would have won the championship every year.

Day 64: Dr. Russ Warren and Columbia's Speedy Prospect

Jake Novak — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:29:00 -0400

Scout.com has reported that impressive Maryland high school prospect Ndubisi “Bisi” Ezekoye has been offered a spot on next year's Columbia football team.

Don't get too excited. Ezekoye reportedly has competing offers already from Army, Connecticut, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Duke, Harvard, and Cornell, and there may be more.

His high school coach in Silver Spring, Maryland, (yet another town where I used to live), says he thinks Ezekoye, due to his excellent classroom work, could be President one day.

Folks don't like when I set odds on this site, but I would say Ezekoye is a long-shot recruit for just about every school that isn't a BCS program.

I hope I'm wrong.

Russ Warren '62

I often kick myself for not writing about the great football players from Columbia's past

Usually, I don't have the time to write about them, or the news of the day just crowds them out.

But, today, I have the time.

Russ Warren, a major cog in the 1961 Ivy League Championship team is one of those players. And if you think he was impressive on the football field, just wait.

First, let's talk about football. Warren came to Columbia from North Hatfield, Massachusetts, where he starred at Northhampton High. By the time he was a senior at CU, he was big for a running back—6-1 and 195 pounds.

In 1961, he, Tom O'Connor '63, and Tom Haggerty '62 made up an all-Massachusetts running back corps. Going into the final Ivy League game of that year, they combined for more than 1,200 yards and more than five yards per carry.

Columbia demolished Penn in that game 37-6, thanks in part to a Warren touchdown, and it clinched a tie for the Ivy title.

Warren and Haggerty ended up first-team All-Ivy along with their excellent blockers Tony Day '63 and Bob Asack '62.

Warren was also a great punter, and he held some Ivy and Columbia punting records for several years.

In the AFL Draft, Warren was drafted in the 25th round by the New York Titans, but he was finished with football.

That's because, after college, Warren became a real star as one of the nation's leading orthopedic surgeons. In addition to become the N.Y. Giants team physician, Warren became the Surgeon-in-Chief at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery.

Warren was inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame on October 2, 2008.

Day 65: Optimal Option

Jake Novak — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:38:00 -0400

Welcome to Camp Cavanaugh!

Just a reminder that Ivy League Media Day is this August 11th, (26 days away), and it will be a teleconference instead of a face-to-face event at the Yale Golf Club.

Over the past two years, there has been a live online broadcast of the event, but I'm not sure that will happen this year.

The big news we all like to see on media day is the release of the preseason Ivy poll by the members of the media. I will try to get and post that list as soon as it's released.

Mike Cavanaugh (1996)

Technically, Mike Cavanaugh was a quarterback, and while he was never a subpar passer, it was his prowess as a runner that made him so memorable at Columbia.

His efforts in 1994 were the single biggest factor in delivering the Lions their first winning season in 23 years.

Cavanaugh was a star QB at Bishop Foley High School in Troy, Michigan, but then head coach Ray Tellier wanted to put the 6' 195-pounder at wide receiver.

In his sophomore season, an injury to Chad Andrzejewksi (1994) thrust Cavanaugh into the emergency starter role and he paid some benefits immediately with two TD's in a win over Cornell at Ithaca.

Mike also returned punts that season!

In '94 he and passing QB Jamie Schwalbe (1994) shuttled at QB, and most weeks it really worked.

It started working big time in week two against Lehigh. Cavanaugh finished with 110 yards on just nine carries, including TD runs of 50 and 27 yards.

The game ended in a 28-28 tie when Lehigh blocked what would have been the winning PAT.

The following week Cavanaugh was even more spectacular, rushing for 188 yards on 12 carries with TD runs of 33 and 24 yards.

Columbia won again the following week at Fordham on the strength of a key 24-yard TD run by Cavanaugh.

By then, the Ivy League was sitting up and taking notice, and Cavanaugh's chances to run started to get squeezed. But he still made the most of his attempts and finished 1994 with 622 yards on 108 carries for a 5.8 yards per carry and six TD's.

Because he was not a pure QB or running back, Cavanaugh didn't even make honorable mention All Ivy, still one of the most stinging omissions for Columbia fans to accept, even after all this time.

Cavanaugh moved effortlessly into the single QB system in 1995 after Schwalbe graduated.

He had the Columbia offense humming with a 22-point per game average and plenty of passing to compliment his running.

The highlight of 1995 came against Penn, as Cavanaugh scored a long running TD to spark a 24-14 win.

Two weeks later against Yale in a heavy rain storm, he calmly squeezed 21 points out of his Lion mates in a 21-7 win.

Then came the horrific leg break against Princeton, and Columbia's march to a potential Ivy title came to an abrupt end.

Because he missed the last 3 1/2 games, Cavanaugh was relegated to the Honorable Mention All Ivy team, another real snub that still hurts.

Mike is currently spending some time this summer coaching at a free youth summer football camp run by his father and many of his other relatives who all played collegiate football (including his brother John '01, who played at Columbia).

Day 66: What They Think of Us & Mike Goldman

Jake Novak — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:19:00 -0400

The Sporting News has come out with it's preseason predictions for the 2009 Ivy Season. Here's how they see it:

1. Harvard
2. Penn
3. Yale
4. Brown
5. Princeton
6. Columbia
7. Cornell
8. Dartmouth

Phil Steele's preseason magazine has it like this:

1. Harvard
2. Penn
3. Princeton
4. Columbia
5. Brown
6. Yale
7. Cornell
8. Dartmouth

And as Bruce Wood of the Big Green Alert Blog points out, Steele is bullish on a large number of returning Lion players, putting a total of eight of them on his first or second All-League teams, behind only the nine total players he acknowledges from Harvard and Penn.

The eight Columbians recognized are actually seven, because Austin Knowlin made it as a wide receiver and a punt returner. The others are:

Lou Miller—Defense First Team

Alex Gross—Defense First Team

Andrew Kennedy—Offense Second Team

Owen Fraser—Defense Second Team

Andy Shalbrack—Defense Second Team

Adam Mehrer—Defense Second Team

You can see the full release here from Ivyleaguesports.com.

What's my take on these lists?

Let's just say I not only like Phil Steele's final standing prediction more than the Sporting News, but I also don't think Harvard is winning the title this year.

As far as the Columbia players getting recognized, you would have to say that Adam Mehrer and Andrew Kennedy stand out as surprises, but nice ones at that.

Mehrer didn't get much publicity for his outstanding season at safety last year and an impressive freshman campaign in 2007. He really deserves to be on that list.

Kennedy hasn't had much of a chance to shine as a pass receiver, simply because that's not how the Lion offense has been structured during his first two seasons. I'm not sure that will change, but his effort has been good and he's provided some spectacular catches in both of his seasons.

I'm thinking the folks making that list are betting on Kennedy's potential.

Mike Goldman '84

The John Witkowski years at Columbia were all about passing, right? Well, almost.

In Witkowski's senior year, fellow classmate Mike Goldman had one of the best years for a running back in Columbia history.

Goldman came to Columbia from Evergreen, Colorado but he grew up as a child in nearby Long Island and his dad was a Columbia grad.

Coming off a junior year in 1982 when he carried the ball just 38 times, Goldman was thrust into the number one spot and was used like a John Riggins-style single back for much of 1983.

The Lions were forced to play all their games at neutral sites or on the road that year as Wien Stadium was being built. But it was in one of those tougher road trips that Goldman really stood out.

Against Yale at the Bowl in Week Five, Goldman carried the ball 30 times for 120 yards. That helped put the Lions over the top in a 21-18 win. Columbia wouldn't win another game for five years.

Mike finished the '83 season with 726 yards rushing and a 4.2 yards per carry average. At the time, that was good enough for third all-time for a single season at Columbia.

Day 67: MVP Jackson & a Quickie Scouting Report

Jake Novak — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:24:00 -0400

Doug Jackson entered the Bristol Hall of Fame in 2006

A lot of us are trying to find out what we can about week two first-time opponent Central Connecticut State.

But it doesn't take long to figure out that the Blue Devils are all about running the football.

CCSU ran the ball about 50 times a game last year compared to just about 18 pass attempts per game.

The big ball carrier is rising senior James Mallory, who had 1,520 yards rushing last year, 15 TD's and a 5.3 yards per carry average.

Despite the ball control offense, the Blue Devil defense was not entirely dominant. CCSU gave up about 210 yards passing per game and 19 TD passes in 2008.

It's impossible to truly gauge just how good Central Connecticut is compared to Columbia's Ivy opponents. But it seems like the Blue Devils will be a tougher challenge than teams like Iona or Marist were for the Lions in recent years.

Doug Jackson 1976

I have Connecticut on my mind today, so I thought I'd focus on one of Columbia's best ever Connecticut products, Doug Jackson out of Bristol.

Columbia's first-ever Bushnell Cup, (Ivy Player of the Year), winner didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but he really had a breakout season as a senior in 1975. Before that super year, Jackson hadn't been one of the team rushing leaders.

Jackson powered for 914 yards on 174 carries for a 5.3 yards per carry average. He also scored 10 TD's.

His two best games were against Harvard where he had 179 yards in a close loss to the Crimson, and then later in the season when he had 194 yards in a win over Penn. That performance helped the Lions avoid the cellar and clinched the MVP award for Jackson, who also ended up with spots on the All Ivy, All-East, All-ECAC and All-American teams.

Jackson got a chance in the NFL as a back-up/practice squad player for four years with the Cowboys and Giants.

After his playing days, Jackson coached as an assistant at Penn and then back at Columbia before going back to the high school coaching ranks.

Day 69 and 68: Full Backfield

Jake Novak — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:39:00 -0400

Harper and Oluwole looked liked Mack trucks to most defenders

I was unable to keep up yesterday with the 100 Players in 100 Days pace, mostly because it was just too nice a day not to get outside.

So, you get two players today for the price of one.

Both were big backs who played big roles in surprisingly good seasons for the Lions.

First off, we look at John Harper 1996 who came from Cleveland's Garfield Heights High School just in time to play the final year of freshman football in the Ivy League. He caught everyone's eye as a Lion Cub, with some long TD runs against Brown and Penn.

John only had 11 carries as a sophomore, but averaged a hefty 4.7 yards-per-carry and had a 38-yard run versus Dartmouth.

As a junior, Harper became the featured fullback in the Lions shuttle offense that alternated passing QB Jamie Schwalbe 1995 and running QB Mike Cavanaugh 1996.

Somehow Harper didn't get lost in that shuffle and he ran for 417 yards on just 104 carries and score 3 TD's. Combined with the 622 yards Cavanaugh racked up that season, the two made for a formidable backfield.

In 1995, the 6-foot 2-inch Harper bulked up to 240 pounds and kicked it up a notch, running for 526 yards and 11 TD's and landing a spot on the All Ivy Second Team. A highlight for him that season had to be scoring the winning TD with 19 seconds left at Harvard to defeat the Crimson, 28-24. Harper was also a key cog in the 24-14 win over Penn which remains the last time the Lions defeated the Quakers at Wien Stadium.

Harper became so popular that they even made a "Harper Trucking Co." banner on the old electronic message board at Wien and showed it everytime he ran the ball.

Ayo Oluwole 2005

One of the most pleasant surprises Columbia has ever had at the running back position came after an unexpected disaster.

Columbia's 2002 leading rusher Rashad Biggers suffered a bad injury in a preseason scrimmage, pushing Ayo Oluwole, a man who had actually quit the team a year before, into emergency starting duty.

Ayo started out nicely with a 61 yard, four yards-per-carry, one TD performance against Fordham in the opener. Then he exploded for 110 yards on 21 carries with another TD in the week 2 win at home against Bucknell.

Ayo played well almost every week in 2003, but his two standout games other than Bucknell were a 166-yard performance in a tough loss to Lafayette and a 138-yard day in a great win over Cornell.

He finished the season with 903 yards rushing, still 4th all-time in Columbia history, and 5 TD's. He was also named to the All Ivy Second Team.

In 2004, Oluwole had to share time with the returning Biggers, and he wasn't able to get back into a rhythm. He finished his senior season with just 304 yards rushing and two TDs.

But the exciting 2003 season was due in large part to Ayo's fantastic job coming off the bench and making an impact.

Day 71: Alex Gross

Jake Novak — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:41:00 -0400

Alex Gross stalks his prey (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

A nice piece of recognition for Austin Knowlin today as he has been named to the Sports Network FCS All-America First Team as a punt returner.

The full story and roster is on the TSN site here.

Gross Gains

The last linebacker I'll spotlight on our 100 players in 100 days countdown is current standout Alex Gross '11.

The Kettering, Ohio product made a huge splash in his freshman year of 2007, getting into the starting lineup, leading the team in tackles, and finishing the season as Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

The thing is...there were so many players making emergency starts during the great injury-riddled campaign of 2007, that I didn't really notice just how good Gross was until very late in the season.

By week 10 against Brown I did realize he was a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year, but I almost missed the boat. Incidentally, Gross clinched the award with a 15-tackle performance that day.

Sophomore jinx? Not so much.

Gross led the team and the entire Ivy League in tackles last season with 101 and ended up on the All-Ivy First Team at linebacker.

He had his best performance in Columbia's best game of the season. In the 17-7 win over Cornell in week 9, Gross had 15 tackles, an interception, a sack, and a pass breakup.

But stats really don't tell the whole story. When Gross is on the field, it seems like opposing ball carriers never have a chance to get around that left end of the Columbia defense. He's also a very disruptive force in the short passing game week after week.

With the graduation of Drew Quinn, I suspect Gross will become the de facto leader of the linebacking corps, and I think they're in good hands.

Day 72: Chris Riga

Jake Novak — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:34:00 -0400

Riga started for 3 head coaches - Naso, Garrett, and MacElreavy

I've written a lot about Matt Sodl '88 on this blog over the years, making a point to admire his fortitude after going 0-30 as a varsity player despite excellent play week in and week out.

But a man who went through the same kind of test with similar overall results despite stellar play was Chris Riga '87.

The Westfield, MA, native came to Columbia in 1983 and after an impressive freshman campaign at linebacker and offensive guard, he caught the eye of head coach Bob Naso before the 1984 season and was starting a few games by the end of that year.

In 1985, under new head coach Jim Garrett, Riga had a stand out junior year. He collected 105 tackles and recovered four fumbles. But the Lions stumbled through a rough year, going 0-10 and coming close to victory in just one game, (a 13-10 loss to Bucknell).

When Larry MacElreavy took over as yet another head coach in 1986, he could see that Riga was the team leader and he was indeed elected captain of the squad.

'86 turned out to be another 0-10 season, but Riga made Honorable Mention All Ivy and proved he could stay focused and motivated throughout all the setbacks.

After Columbia, Riga became a decorated officer in the U.S. Army.

His contributions to his country and Alma Mater are very appreciated.

Day 73: Chris Carey

Jake Novak — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:26:00 -0400

Chris Carey in 2001

Just a little bit of news again today before we continue with the countdown:

1) The real recruiting highlight of the year is just two days away. Columbia's football camp for high school students is at Wien Stadium this Friday and Saturday. A big number of incoming freshmen started participating in these camps when Coach Wilson came to Columbia. This is where we find and truly test our future stars.

2) Two big questions on two other Ivy teams are still unanswered. Harvard to LSU and then back to Harvard QB Andrew Hatch is still not on the roster for the Crimson. With 73 days until kickoff, one has wonder when the cutoff date would be for someone who has already been back on campus for months.

The other big transfer, Stanford's Fred Craig, is still expected to join the Penn Quakers, but his name is also not yet on Penn's roster. I will keep checking.

3) One thing I neglected to mention about Dartmouth yesterday is that the Big Green are pushing back the start times for most of their home games to 1:30 pm. This might allow me to stay home on the Friday night before the game and then hit the road at about 6:30 am on game day. It's another night at home, which is nice...but it also means returning home at about 10:00 or 10:30 on Saturday night. I'll have to weigh this one as will some of the CU fans who plan to make the trip in week 6.

Captain Carey

It seems like linebackers have become a font for underclassmen captains at Columbia in recent years. First Rory Wilfork in 1995, then Drew Quinn in 2007, and in between them we had middle linebacker Chris Carey '04 who was elected captain for both 2002 and then 2003.

Carey was a shoo-in for the job after recording 102 tackles in his sophomore year, third-highest in the league for 2001. 80 of those stops came when he posted double figures in six consecutive games against Lafayette, Penn, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and Cornell.

Carey came to Columbia from New Jersey's Pingry School, and he had a lot of Ivy football pedigree from day one.

Carey’s grandfather Bill attended Columbia and commuted from Connecticut for classes. His uncle Max was a star cornerback and kick returner for the Lions, setting several records as a returner in the mid- to late-1960s.

Carey’s father, Chris Sr., wrestled for Princeton in the 1970s.

Carey was a big part of the exciting 2003 season for the Lions, but only for half of it. A concussion kept him out of the lineup for the second half of the season. But before that, he was a big contributor in the heart-stopping 33-27 Hail Mary win over Princeton at Princeton Stadium. That had to be a mixed emotional night for the family.

Something tells me that game is Carey's No. 1 college football memory.

But I could be wrong.

Day 74: John Alex

Jake Novak — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:43:00 -0400

No golf for me this year.

A couple of quick updates from Bruce Wood over at the Big Green Alert:

1) "Long a fixture of early August, the Ivy League preseason football media day is now a thing of the past. At least for this year.

Instead of the annual lunch-and-golf gathering at Yale Golf Club, the Ivy League will conduct a teleconference early next month."

This actually works well for me, as I will not have to take a day off from work to travel to the event. Hopefully, the teleconference will yield some interesting news in addition to the announcement of the preseason media predictions for the final standings.

2) "The Big Green have added an opponent for the 2010 and 2011 seasons
with Sacred Heart University. Dartmouth will host the Pioneers for the 2010 season before playing the following season in Fairfield, Conn. Sacred Heart replaces the University of New Hampshire on the schedule."

An interesting, but probably sad development for a lot of football fans in New Hampshire who loved seeing the annual in-state rivalry. But facts are facts, and UNH is moving closer to becoming a BCS program and this contest hasn't been competitive for a long time.

Bruce Wood reported a few weeks back that Columbia might replace Dartmouth on UNH's schedule, but I have not heard any confirmation of that and I think everyone around the league is considering that a long shot.

Linebacker of the Day

The best things come to those who wait. And John Alex 1989 learned that lesson well during his years at Columbia.

The highly skilled linebacker came to Columbia in 1985 from Overland Park, Kansas at a time when the Lions program was at the bottom and seemed like it could sink no further.

But it did.

Three years later, Alex was beginning his senior season with the real possibility of going through his entire varsity career without a win.

He had to know it could happen. His linebacking mentor Matt Sodl 1988 had just graduated suffering that fate.

Alex made his best efforts, especially in his junior year, to stop the slide. He had 12 tackles in the near upset against Brown late in the season before the refs blew a fumble call that sealed the win for the Bears.

But after grabbing a spot on the Honorable Mention All-Ivy team in 1987, John Alex took the leadership role as captain of a team entering the season with a 41-game losing streak.

The Lions stumbled through the first two games in 1988, before sorely testing eventual co-champion Penn at Franklin Field.

Then came the big win against Princeton on Homecoming and the wild celebration that ensued. Even though he was not a superstar contributor in that particular game, everyone knew Alex was a big reason for the win.

Columbia got one more win that season, and the fact that it was the final game of John Alex's career made it all the sweeter.

Day 74: Manhattan Transfer

Jake Novak — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:26:00 -0400

Coach Galen Snyder

First off today, make sure you check out the GoColumbiaLions.com Web site and see the "splash page" that hawks football season tickets.

The page features a good shot of QB Millie Olawale, Roar-EE, and some students in full light blue body paint. (By the way, I never did the full body paint thing...but you have to respect the kids who do, as long as they are indeed below the age of 30 and 250 or so pounds).

Today's memorable linebacker I'd like to recognize is Galen Snyder '91, who came to Columbia as a transfer from Duke University. During the first two seasons of head coach Ray Tellier's tenure, Snyder was the anchor of the defense and showed signs of being a good motivator and future coach.

The Lions won only two games in Snyder's two varsity seasons of 1989 and 1990, but Snyder had so many standout games that he was named to the All-Ivy second team in '89 and the first team in 1990.

Unbelievable tackle totals were Snyder's calling card.

In a 27-12 loss to Bucknell at Wien Stadium in 1989, Snyder was a part of an incredible 35 tackles. No, that's not a misprint, it was 35 tackles in one game!

In a close loss at Penn in 1990, Snyder had 18 tackles.

Snyder was elected team captain before that 1990 season, and he has continued that legacy as a team leader. Snyder currently is the head football coach at his alma mater of Pennsbury High School outside of Philadelphia.

None of Coach Snyder's recent grads are playing ball in the Ivies, but there must be no hard feelings at Bucknell over his efforts in the 1989 game because one of his players is now with the Bison.

Day 76: Matt Sodl

Jake Novak — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:01:00 -0400

The author and Matt Sodl, April 2008

Matt Sodl '88 played his heart out during his four years at Columbia, and despite going 0-10 in his senior season, he was named to the All-Ivy First Team in 1987.

Once again, there's not much valuable that I could add now to an interview I did of today's subject, so here it is reprinted below:

Matt Sodl (No. 65) Makes a Tackle

Longtime readers of this blog are familiar with my special admiration for the seniors on the 1987 Columbia Lions football team.

They stuck with the team and worked hard, despite compiling an 0-30 record during their three-year varsity careers, (freshmen were not eligible to play varsity ball back then). Eleven players from that '87 team stayed with the program all four years.

The 1984 Lion Cubs, Matt Sodl, No. 65, is in front

One of the best players on that team and the strongest was defensive tackle Matt Sodl. Matt came to Columbia in 1984 from rural Pennsylvania and made an immediate impact on the freshman team. By his sophomore season, he was starting at nose tackle, recording 59 tackles and three sacks.

But as a senior in 1987, Sodl truly broke out as a first-team All-Ivy player (unanimous selection), with 84 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss.

During Matt's 0-30 varsity run, not many of the games were close. But two of the last three games of his career became some the most excruciating losses in Lion history.

Leading at home against Dartmouth by a 10-9 score, the Big Green pulled out a late FG to take the 12-10 lead, only to see the Lions return the ensuing kick-off very close to field goal territory.

Columbia indeed got into position to try the winning field goal, but it went just wide, (after a five-yard false start on the first attempt...of course, the actual kick hooked just about five yards from the goal post).

Two weeks later against Brown in Providence, a late Bear fumble was nullified by the officials in one of the worst calls in Ivy football history. Brown kept the ball and went in for the winning score in a 19-16 season-ending win.

But Matt Sodl is proud to have played on this team and for Columbia. And he remains a very strong supporter of Columbia football in many ways.

Today Matt is now Managing Director and Co-Founder of Innovation Capital, where he runs the investment banking firm that has a specialty in the gaming, hospitality, and entertainment industries.

Matt is often quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek and the Las Vegas Sun and was named to Investor Dealers' Digest's "40 under 40" list in 2006.

Most importantly, he recently appeared as a guest on FOX Business Network.

Matt was good enough to do an interview for ROAR LIONS ROAR.

Jake: Tell us about where you grew up. Football was obviously a big part of life in that part of Pennsylvania, but how many guys thought about going to the Ivies to play ball?

Matt: I attended Whitehall High School, which is located in a farm community just outside of Allentown, Pa. The school is best known for its famous alum Matt Millen who grew up down the road from my neighborhood.

The Ivy League certainly wasn't in the mindset of any of us growing up. All we heard about was Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, and Notre Dame.

Our high school football program was populated with several Parade All-American players who played at these schools.

I remember Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, and Bo Schembechler visiting our school, walking through our weight room...I think you get the point.

Most of my teammates were focused on playing for Division 1-A schools. Of the 17 seniors in my class, I believe 13 of our players went to play football at a Division 1-A or 1-AA school.

J: Give us some highlights of your high school career on and off the field.

M: Our high school team was all about winning...competing against the largest schools in the state of Pennsylvania. We lost three games in four years. We had some phenomenal athletes who could really play the game.

I played defensive line, was a two-year starter and earned All-State honors my senior season.

In the off-season, we lifted weights year-round and actually competed as a powerlifting team, (comprised of nearly all offensive and defensive linemen), where we won the Pennsylvania state championships several years in a row.

The off-season weight training program was ahead of its time. The offensive line coach expected all of the football players to lift weights year-round...beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving (right after our last game), and up and through summer camp.

It was here in high school, thanks to my coach, John Bendekovitz, that I learned the type of work ethic and dedication that it takes to compete and win.

J: How did you come to Columbia? Who recruited you and what was the recruitment process like?

M: The recruiting process at our school was interesting. When the Division 1-A schools looked at our game film, they mostly were focused on my teammate Chris Parker, who was a 6-7, 290-pound defensive lineman who played next to me.

Parker went on to be a Parade All-American and star at WVU. My 5-10, 220-pound frame obviously didn't excite the Division 1-A schools. A number of Division 1AA schools from the Ivy League and Patriot League recruited me.

That was when I met Jim Benedict, Columbia's Freshman Coach at the time. He met with me in our guidance counselor's office and literally unveiled a model of the Wein Stadium.

He said the stadium was under construction, that they were playing games in Giants Stadium and invited me for an official visit. Benedict was a class act and on my visit did all he could to keep my parents calm.

As you can imagine, the initial idea of their son living in New York City didn't sit too well my parents who had lived their lives in a small farm community in eastern Pennsylvania.

Ultimately, I focused on the long-term and felt that an Ivy League education would create many more opportunities for me down the road as opposed to a Patriot League school.

In my business today, I don’t come across too many Patriot football alums. But I run across Ivy League football alums all the time.

J: What do you remember about your first training camp and the 1984 freshman football season?

M: Our first training camp was up at Baker Field. It was my first exposure to the infamous bus ride, which in those days was straight through Harlem. Certainly an eye opener for me.

Breakfast was a chocolate donut from "Twin Donut" and an orange juice. Hardly the breakfast of champions. In terms of the Freshman team, the diversity of the athletes was quite astounding.

We had some great athletes...we also had some offensive linemen who looked as if they'd never seen a squat rack in their lives...a vast departure from my high school days.

In all, as a team we developed a bond that was an "us vs. the world" mentality. And, while we are the class known for not winning a single game in four years...I'm here to remind you that we did win our very first Freshman game against Lafayette.

It may not count in the NCAA record books, but it was nice to play near my hometown and get a win.

It is important to note that there were 11 players from that freshman team that had the fortitude and commitment to play all four years and not experience a win as a varsity player.

Each of us handled the tough times in a different manner but all told, we believed that we could win as a team at Columbia. We played through adversity and used that experience to “wins” in our careers and personal lives after we graduated.

The names of these 11 players are: Mike Bissinger, Phil Fusco, George Gianfrancisco, Mike Lavelle, Dave Putelo, Nick Leone, John Miller, Tony Natola, Rich Ritter, Paul San Fillipo, and Matt Sodl.

J: What was it like adjusting to life on campus and in NYC?

M: There was certainly an adjustment period necessary coming from rural Pennsylvania. However, as a team we went through it together and that provided the support group we all needed to adapt.

The coaches during The Streak: Bob Naso, Jim Garrett and Larry McElreavy

J: Coach Garrett was in charge during your sophomore year. Most of the players I’ve spoken to from that year say they actually like Jim despite the ugly way his career ended at CU. Are you in that camp as well?

M: Coach Garrett is certainly a lightning rod for discussion. My take is that his vision for the program; his quality coaching staff; his expectations; his offensive and defensive schemes; his ability to recruit...ALL were on point.

And, yes I am in the camp that like the guy and wish things could have ended differently. I have no doubt that we would have been quite competitive in subsequent years (Garrett brothers notwithstanding) if he had stayed on as head coach.

All that said, I think the post-game press conference after the Harvard game got the better of him. I'll leave it at that.

Coach Garrett is certainly remembered for his "catch phrases" and impassioned speeches...especially the one in the first meeting where he predicted we would go "10-0" that very first season. We all wanted to believe.

J: What was the transition period over to Coach MacElreavy like?

M: Coach Mac was a tough, hard nosed and no-nonsense guy. He had a proven track record on the college level, so I think the comfort level was there that we could turn this program around.

I think Coach Mac shared the same passion for the game as Coach Garrett. That said, I think he was much more approachable than Garrett.

J: As the streak continued, what pressures did you feel on the field and on campus week after week?

M: Living in the media capital of the world that is NYC didn't allow us to forget about the Streak. As the losses mounted, it seemed that the intensity of the press coverage increased.

It got to a point where NFL Films and Sports Illustrated were practically a part of the team, riding the bus with us to practice, etc. The one element that I did not appreciate was the support (or lack thereof) of the student body.

I truly believe there was a pretty large faction of the students who wanted us to continue losing.

I still remember the group of students huddled around Coach Mac shouting "We're No. 1" after we broke Northwestern's losing streak. Still makes me sick to this day.

J: Did the losses help you focus on life after college a little better than perhaps a player on a team that won every week?

M: I think whether we won or lost, we had no choice but to focus on our school work.

J: Did you have a very different outlook going into the ’87 season? Did you think that this would be the year more than you did in ’85 or ’86?

M: In the '87 season, I was a senior and tried to be a leader...leading by example. The finality of being a senior really drove my intensity.

I did not want to end my career without a "W" so I played every day (practice and game) as if it was the last time I would step on the field. I think that intensity level carried over to many of my teammates.

Also, Tom Gilmore (our defensive line coach) was a big factor for my elevated playing level my senior season. Playing for a Bushnell Cup winner and thriving off his intensity was something I internalized and that helped me take my game to the next level.

Tom Gilmore, 1985's Bushnell Cup Winner

J: What was it like after those Dartmouth and Brown losses in ’87. How hard was it to cope in the days immediately afterward?

M: Words cannot describe the emotions. After 3 1/2 years, having a "W" in your grasp only to be taken from you. We truly believed we would win those games.

Dartmouth: one field goal, wide left. So close.

Brown: game winding down. Brown fumbles inside our five-yard line. We couldn't stay on the ball. You’re supposed to win those games.

I think we all felt numb in the days following those games. Feeling that there is no such thing as a moral victory.

J: Tell us about your playing career after college.

M: I loved the game of football and wished I could have extended my career after Columbia. That said, my 5-10 frame would only take me so far.

J: How did you get into your current line of work, and did you try anything else before getting into the financial world?

M: Like many college students looking to break onto Wall Street, I began my career as a financial analyst at a boutique investment banking firm. I was introduced to the firm by a Columbia alum, Eldridge Gray.

J: Do you think your lack of wins in college spurred you on to better things post-graduation?

M: My Columbia football experience is without question the single most important driver in my career. It taught me to prepare daily; compete harder; the need to work through adversity; and most importantly appreciate victory and success.

Matt Sodl & Son

J: Do you keep it touch with your former teammates, and do you know what they’re up too?

M: I do keep in touch with many of the guys in the class of 1988 and surrounding classes. Our 20-year reunion is coming up and I hope to see many of them. No doubt we will be sharing football war stories.

Matt Sodl and wife Cathy have three children and live in a beach community just outside of Los Angeles.

Day 77: Des Werthman

Jake Novak — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:43:00 -0400

Des Werthman '93 was flat out the most versatile players I ever saw in a Columbia uniform.

It would not be possible to creat a list of memorable Lion players, let alone linebackers, and not include him.

It would also be silly not to simply sum up his career by reprinting the interview I did with Des more than two years ago.

Enjoy:

Des Werthman, 1992 (credit: Columbia University Athletics)

It's hard to describe just how much former Lions star Des Werthman meant and still means to Columbia fans.

Des was a defensive standout at linebacker, but he also chipped in as a running back on short-yardage situations, and even helped out as a kicker from time to time.

That all made Des a throwback-style hero years before people started selling old jerseys for five times the retail price.

Werthman was a part of Ray Tellier's first recruiting class, playing on the freshman team in 1989 and then on the varsity from 1990-92. He made an impact in almost every game he played and Des' career stats are simply breathtaking.

I don't think any Columbia player will ever top his 449 career tackles in just three years on the varsity. And what he meant to the team overall during those years can't be quantified.

But nothing can match his heroics in the final two games of his career against Cornell and Brown... both at home.

Against Cornell, Des helped shock the 7-1 Big Red with 16 tackles, two fumble recoveries, two rushing touchdowns, a 2-point conversion, two extra points, just missed a field goal attempt, and even threw a pass, which went incomplete. (There are also unconfirmed reports that at halftime, Des sold game programs in the stands). The final score was 35-30, and the loss eliminated Cornell from the Ivy title race.

But Des was just warming up. The next week against Brown, he rushed for 114 yards, scored 19 points (three rushing touchdowns and an extra point) and had 15 tackles. With the Lions leading 34-28, Des missed a field goal that would have iced the game, but on the very next play he made an interception to end it.

Des went on to a short career in the Arena Football League, something that suited his 5"11, 225-pound frame a little more than the NFL.

For some crazy reason, Des was not included in the inaugural class of the Columbia sports hall of fame last year. It's a controversial decision to say the least.

Thankfully, he was named a part of the CU football team of the 20th Century and he was on the field at Homecoming in 2000, (when Columbia crushed Dartmouth 49-21),

Des' playing exploits are never far from the minds of longtime Lion fans, but when Justin Masorti joined the Lions last year, his build and style of play reminded many of us of old number 49.

Des contacted me via the comments section of this blog a few months ago, and kindly agreed to do an interview.

JAKE: Walk us through the highlights of your post-Columbia life since you graduated in 1993, both personal and career-wise.

Des: Well, I lived in NY until 1998 and then moved back to Chicago. I came out of school and tried to play professionally, with a brief stint in the Arena League and some NFL try outs, but nothing ever materialized.

I went to work in the investment field in late 1994 and have been there ever since. On the family front, I got married in 2001 and have two daughters, ages 4 and 2. Neither seem to be big sports fans, but I am trying to convert them.

Jake: Did your time as a Columbia football player play a positive or negative role in your personal life or your career? Did it ever directly hurt or help you?

Des: I don’t think it ever played a negative role. It didn’t produce any jobs when I came out of school, but I met with a whole bunch of Alumni which is interesting and hopefully Columbia alumni will help more with hiring others in the future.

I think the years as a player at CU are a constant reminder that one is only as good as the weakest link. A great team can be a thousand times better than a great player. This carries into the real world as well.

Werthman as a member of the Loyola High School Ramblers (Wilmette, IL), where he also excelled in Track and Field.

Jake: You were one of the first players to shine during the Ray Tellier era. Did he and his team recruit you, or were the last group brought in under Larry McAlreavy?

Des: It was interesting, I was originally contacted by one of McAlreavy’s coaches. I met him and then never heard from Columbia again. Several months passed and then one of Ray’s coaches came to see me, Sean McDonnell, now head coach at New Hampshire.

I visited some other schools, but had pretty much decided on Columbia once I went to the campus.

Ray Tellier

Jake: What were your impressions of Tellier and why do you think he was eventually able to find success at Columbia after so many had failed before him?

Des: Ray was very good on several fronts and this led to his success. He had been a winner at Rochester and brought several coaches that had been successful as well.

I think Ray was very good at several facets of the game. He was a good recruiter, knew the X’s and O’s, and could also motivate people.

I think what ultimately led to his success was that he was organized and stuck to a plan of action that ended up working. I think a lot of the success is based upon diligence, focus and planning.

Jake: How did it come to pass that you had to play so many different positions for Columbia, (sometimes in the same game)? Did you take the initiative, or were the Lions so shorthanded that they had to call on you so often?

Des: I never initiated playing any other position except for linebacker. It is funny, but I tried to hide the fact that I kicked extra points and field goals in high school.

I was like the super jock character toy with the straight shoe and you would slam the guy's head down to kick. Unfortunately one of the coaches remembered film of me kicking. It was the saddest day of my life…(laughing).

In all honesty, Columbia had good talent, but lacked depth. I think this was the real reason I played several positions. Once the first guy or if we had a second guy, (highly unusual), went down, we would look for options at positions.

I started playing running back as a junior in short yardage situations and then more frequently as a senior.

This was a lot of fun and I think that was because I was kind of winging it on offense and the guys in the huddle were so serious that I would just start laughing and they would eventually loosen up.

There were some really good players on offense; like Mike Sardo, who was a great possession receiver.

Jake: Give us your overall impressions of what it was like to be a Columbia athlete in the late-80's/early 90's. Were the non-athletes friendly or overly hostile to you? How about the faculty and the administration outside of the athletic department?

Des: My experience may be different than others, but I had a blast. I never looked at it as "non-athletes vs. athletes," but to answer your question, the non-athletes were very cool.

Sure you had some people who didn’t see eye to eye with you, but that is pretty par for the course. The student body was always friendly and never gave me any hard times about being on a team that lost more often than not.

I never noticed the faculty treating me any differently. But I can recall my senior year asking one of my teachers to let me take the final exam early so that I could attend football camp for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League.

The guy shot it down immediately and didn’t seem to comprehend what football was. There was no language barrier so I'm not sure why he opposed. In hindsight, maybe he was right to stop me. But it would have been fun to have been there.

Jake: Did you live in the dorms or did you join the large segment of the football players who pledged and lived in the Sigma Chi house?

Des: I lived in the dorms. I never understood why you would join a fraternity when the parties were largely open anyway. I lived in Carmen, Ruggles for two years, and then Wallach.

Jake: How often have you been able to return to Columbia to either see the team play or just to walk around campus? During your visits, what changes have you noticed if any?

Columbia Football's Team of the Century, October 2000. Des is the back row, third from the right. (PHOTO CREDIT: BEN ASEN)

Des: Honestly, I have been back to 2 Columbia games since I graduated. The last being when the Team of the Century was inducted. I honestly doubt I will ever see another game in person.

Jake: Columbia fans will forever remember you as the guy who seemingly defeated Cornell and Brown singlehandedly to finish out the 1992 season. What are your memories of those games, and what do you remember about the efforts of some of the other players who many of us have forgotten over the years?

Des: I remember the Brown game the most and this makes sense since it was the last game we were going to play. The Cornell game was fun to remember because it was one of the first and last times I got to see some of our players actually smiling on the field. When you lose a lot, smiling doesn’t come easy.

Brown was a really memorable game. My fondest memory combines two plays; the first was when we were trying to ice the game and they sent me in for a field goal. You have to understand that I just hated kicking these things.

I would sit there cursing myself for ever having sent a film that had footage of me kicking in it. Needless to say that I missed the field goal, no surprise here right? The next play I pretty much knew the play they were going to run.

Call it intuition or whatever, but they had been trying the whole game to run a shallow cross with a deep cross and for most of the day I had played the shallow cross.

This time I just knew the QB was going deep and that was exactly what he did. We picked the ball off and the game was over.

We had some great players. Mike Sardo was one of the best receivers I have ever played with, Kevin Robinson was a great running back and moved to defensive back to help the team on defense.

The defensive linemen Jim Daine and Bob Wolcott, were key reasons why I was able to do the things I was able to do.

Others during my tenure that I got to play with were Galen Snyder, who was a very good linebacker, Bob Kent, Gary Comstock... there were a lot of very good players.

Jake: You were one of the last classes to play freshman football. Do you think abolishing it has helped or hurt Ivy football and what are your memories of playing in your freshman year?

Des: Freshman football was an easy way to get acclimated to the school and the program. That being said, we lost most of our recruiting class during freshman football as a ton of people quit.

I think that getting rid of freshman football has been a good thing. I think you mature faster as a player and then you avoid having to endure two years of acclimating, where you get used to playing your first year and then the next year you have to acclimate yourself to the next team and summer camp.

Jake: The best Columbia ever did during your three varsity years was 3-7. How tough was it to play for a team that never really contended for a title?

Des: I guess it was hard since I am going to say that we were much better than our records, which means I still struggle with the fact that we didn’t win more. It was very hard to get up and go on those teams as the constant losses and heartbreaks made it hard to want to win.

This is what happens when you lose, it debilitates your desire to win and wears you down a little more until you become apathetic. I don’t think we ever became apathetic, because we had a lot of guys that just loved to play the game, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

We went up to Cornell my junior year and we threw for a touchdown only to have the refs call it back for the QB being over the line of scrimmage. Our QB wasn’t even close when you looked at it on film, we should have won that game, but didn’t..those were the worst.

Jake: Do you think that Columbia was at some kind of unfair disadvantage during the time you played there? Did things like the long ride to practice, the administration's seeming indifference to athletics, or the quality of the facilities play as big a role as many long-time fans like me think they do/did?

Des: I think Columbia will always be fighting an uphill battle as long as the practice field is so far away. You would barely make it back for dinner. I think people quit just because of that bus ride. I recall one game day when the buses didn’t even show up.

We had like 70 guys hailing Gypsy cabs down on Amsterdam in order to be able to afford the ride and get to the field. Imagine playing a game after you did this and got to the field late!?

The facilities were, and maybe still are, just dated. You just can't compete with other schools if your facilities are so poorly kept up and don’t offer the same things that a Princeton or Harvard can offer.

And how can an administration be taken seriously when they have three head coaches on the payroll at the same time? I think when I was there they had Garrett, McAlreavy and Tellier on the payroll at the same time.

The practice field was used as a parking lot during games, so you would come back to the field on Monday and be picking up glass and stuff like that.

If you want to win there has to be a commitment to the program and I don’t think that was ever there for football. If you aren’t paying to win then you shouldn’t even field the team.

This isn’t high school where you are trying to get kids involved in different things so that they try new stuff. This is a college where you had a Rose Bowl championship team and a QB named Cliff Montgomery. Have a little respect and pride.

Jake: If you could do it all over again, would you come back to Columbia?

Des: I loved going to school at Columbia. You have to look at the whole package and Columbia was a great place to be. I almost transferred out after my freshman year, but didn’t. So, I thought long and hard about this and stayed then and wouldn’t change my mind now.

That being said, I look now at the school and think that things could and should have been much better. It still bugs me to this day that there was such a lack of commitment by people at the University and in the Athletic department.

I would classify them as dead weight and they are probably still there at the school. I have a sour taste with a lot of these people and some of the people today.

Day 78: Paul Kalides

Jake Novak — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:35:00 -0400

All-Americans don't grow on trees, but Paul Kalides '73 was built like one.

Coming from a top-notch high school program in New Jersey, Kaliades immediately made a splash with the varsity in his sophomore season of 1970. Playing mostly on the defensive line that year, Kaliades was named to the All-Ivy second team as a defensive guard.

With a rising junior like Kaliades and an unusual amount of good returning talent at other positions, the pundits thought the Lions had a good shot to challenge for the title in '71.

They were right.

Moving to his more natural linebacker position, Kaliades made a monstrous impact on the Cardiac Columbia Kids of that magical season. Doubling as the team's placekicker, he also made a number of clutch kicks, including the miracle game winner against Dartmouth at Baker Field that just barely cleared the crossbar.

A week earlier in a legendary 24-21 loss against the Big Red in Ithaca, Kaliades made 20 tackles despite his left arm being taped to his chest to protect a separated shoulder. Most of those tackles were on Ed Marinaro.

The disappointing 1972 season that followed was not Kaliades' fault. Like he did in 1971, he was named to the All-Ivy first team and made another series of great plays.

Kaliades also has a special connection to Columbia quarterback great Eugene Rossides. Rossides later became the founder of the American Hellenic Organization, which took great pride in Kaliades also being a Greek-American.

Today, Kaliades is a successful real estate expert currently serving as the president of Renters Legal Liability Insurance, LLC.

Special Pictures

Sorry, I couldn't post a picture of Paul Kaliades today, but I came across some great pictures of Baker Field to share with you. Above, you see a shot of Wien Stadium, just before construction was completed in 1984. Here you can see the old coliseum-style gate that used to be on the 218th Street side of the complex at the old Baker Field. (click on all these pics for a larger view)

Here's absolutely one of the best pictures I had never previously seen of the old Baker Field. This is the view from the north side where you can see the old baseball field in the foreground, the enclosed end of the 32,000 seat football stadium in the background, and the old practice field to the left. Note this photo from 1936 also predates Chrystie Fieldhouse built in the 1950s.

The billboard advertising Columbia football on the left clearly was meant to catch the eyes of the passengers traveling the New York Central train line every day.

This picture from 1927 is probably taken from Broadway and the billboard is probably at the corner of 218th street.

Day 79: Drew Quinn

Jake Novak — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:23:00 -0400

Drew Quinn last season (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

I swear, swear, swear that I was going to recognize Drew Quin '09 today even before his dad commented on my previous post just a few hours ago.

But it was nice to see that Drew's father Ed is still a reader even though his son played his last game in a Lion uniform more than seven months ago.

Drew came to Columbia in 2005 after serving as a captain on the perennial high school football powerhouse, St. Xavier in Cincinnati. Quinn made an impact right away, playing in all 10 games as a freshman and even making an interception in the Homecoming game against Penn.

But Drew really made everyone sit up and take notice in his sophomore year when he made the weekly Ivy Honor Roll after forcing a fumble and returning an INT for a game-icing TD in the season opener win against Fordham.

Even more impressive, Quinn became the defensive field general even at his young age. He was a key cog in Columbia's surprising 5-5 2006 campaign. He finished the season with 82 tackles and two interceptions (his second pick also iced a win, this time against Cornell).

Then came "the great injury epidemic of 2007."

Like Rory Wilfork, Drew became one of those rare juniors to be named a team captain. But an injury sustained in training camp slowed Quinn's ability to make as much of an impact as he did in 2006. He still finished with 62 tackles and an interception, but the Lions' ability to plug up the middle on defense was noticeably weaker without Quinn at 100 percent.

Drew was much healthier throughout 2008 and it showed. Once again, he started the season with an interception returned for a TD against Fordham, and finished the season with 88 tackles and a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team.

While Columbia's defense looks very strong coming into this season, my number one concern about the 2009 defense is how it will respond to Quinn's graduation. The Lions need to replace, not only Quinn's athletic abilities, but also his leadership skills.

No matter how well Quinn's replacement does this season and beyond, we'll miss him.

Day 80: Honors for Jackie Blackett and Remembering Rory Wilfork

Jake Novak — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:29:00 -0400

In all my years of interacting with Columbia's athletic department, no one has been more warm and welcoming than Associate Athletics Director Jackie Blackett.

And in all my conversations with Columbia athletes and their families, all I ever hear are nice words about Jackie.

So I was very happy to see that she is being named the Jostens Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

I think I can speak for all the readers here when I send my congratulations to Jackie.

Speaking of administrators, the Ivy League's new Executive Director officially took over today. We wish Robin Harris good luck and the wisdom with which to make the best decisions for our league.

100 Players in 100 Days: The Linebackers

Moving from the defensive backfield to the linebacking corps, I'd like to focus on 10 memorable Lion linebackers in the next 10 days, beginning with the great Rory Wilfork.

Wilfork came to Columbia from Miami with good football blood flowing in his veins. His dad Roy was star linebacker for Mississippi Valley State and played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 and 1970.

As a freshman in 1993, he was among the first Ivy League footballers to be allowed to play for the varsity as a freshman. He made a bit of a splash in Week 9 with a big tackle to help preserve a 29-24 win over Cornell in Ithaca.

But Wilfork broke out big time as a sophomore in the 1994 season. He exploded for 127 tackles, 16 of them for a loss. He was an easy choice for First-Team All-Ivy, as the Lions posted their first winning season in 23 years.

Wilfork's presence on and off the field were good enough to earn a spot as co-captain of the team as a junior in 1995—he was the first junior captain in 59 years at Columbia.

The 1995 season was really a testament to Wilfork, as fellow star Marcellus Wiley sat out the season. That put a huge degree of the defensive pressure on Wilfork, and he responded with 141 tackles.

With Wiley back in the fold in 1996, Wilfork could "relax" as a senior, as he posted 103 tackles and 15 for a loss in that final season.

When he was done, Wilfork would be named as a First-Team All-Ivy member all three of his final years, only the 13th player in Ivy history at the time to achieve that feat.

What set Wilfork apart was his speed, the kind of speed that current standout linebacker Alex Gross exhibits, but Wilfork was just as fast and with more size on him.

Wilfork is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.

Day 81: Andy Shalbrack

Jake Novak — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:23:00 -0400

Andy Shalbrack deserves your attention (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

I like to finish off these lists of 10 notable Columbia players at every position with a current Lion. And I also always like to give as much recognition to Andy Shalbrack '10 as I can.

I'm one of those many Columbia fans who is disappointed, but not shocked, by the lack of recognition Shalbrack's standout play has received from the Ivy League in general so far in his career.

In 2006, a strong argument could have been made that he was the true Ivy Rookie of the Year, and not his teammate Austin Knowlin. I know because I made that argument myself.

But even after three great seasons in the defensive backfield, Shalbrack hasn't even been given an honorable mention nod for the All Ivy team in any of those three years. I can understand a snub in one or two of those years, but all three? Come on!

But I am not surprised either. Without any winning seasons at Columbia under his belt, Shalbrack just won't get the individual recognition he deserves.

So I guess it's up to us.

Shalbrack as a rookie wearing #49 (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

Shalbrack burst onto the season in his first game with some hard hits on some unlucky Fordham ball carriers. He finished his freshman campaign as the Ivy interception leader, (and it seemed like all his picks were absolutely crucial that season).

As a sophomore he was one of the many victims of what I call the "2007 Columbia Injury Epidemic." But he still played in every game and made a spectacular interception return for a TD in the Princeton game that was a combination of aggressive play and perfect timing.

Last season he carried the load at safety while Columbia adjusted to a freshman starter at one corner position and a sophomore at the other. His most memorable moments were the interceptions that iced both Lion wins against Dartmouth and Cornell.

Shalbrack is not one of the official team captains this season, but he is the captain of that Lion secondary ... don't even think otherwise.

When it comes to gaining the victories that will guarantee Shalbrack and many of his fellow seniors some well-deserved recognition, I just hope they're saving the best for last.

Day 82 and an Otis Family Moment

Jake Novak — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:07:00 -0400

Jim Otis strikes a pose

I switched to Verizon FIOS earlier this summer and I really love the service and the channel choices.

One of those new choices is The Big Ten Network and the channel was playing the classic 1969 Ohio State-Michigan game yesterday.

One of the stars of that game was Buckeye fullback Jim Otis, father of great Columbia QB Jeff Otis '05.

Ohio State famously lost that game, but Otis had a great day rushing for 144 yards on 28 carries, one of them for a TD.

During Jeff's career at Columbia, Jim was often seen at Wien Stadium on football Saturdays.

He even gave a great interview to the YES Network during the 2003 game against Harvard which the Lions won on an Otis-to-Zach Van Zant TD pass.

The elder Otis became an All-American and a good running back for the St. Louis Cardinals for a few years.

Steve Cargile in 2003

Player of the Day, Day 82: Steve Cargile '04

One of the players on that 2003 team was defensive back Steve Cargile, who switched positions to help the team midway through his college career and ended up finding a place in the NFL.

Cargile came to Columbia as a wide receiver from the Cleveland area and did quite well in that role through his junior year.

Then Head Coach Ray Tellier decided to encourage Cargile to switch to defensive back, and he turned in a stellar 2003 season which landed him on the All Ivy second team.

More importantly, Cargile stood out so much in his new role, the NFL took notice. Everyone agrees Cargile would never have been recognized by the pro scouts had he stayed at wide receiver.

Many Columbia fans last saw Cargile sitting with another Columbia graduate turned NFL player Marcellus Wiley 1997, at this year's spring game.

He has spent the last year or so on the Giants practice roster, but is still hoping to get into the action at the Meadowlands sometime soon.

Gregory, Crawford, and Prosper

Jake Novak — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:42:00 -0400

Ted Gregory Today

Day 85: Ted Gregory '74

The Middletown, Ohio man came to Columbia in 1970 as a wide receiver who many thought wasn't big or strong enough to make an impact.

Then, Head Coach Frank Navarro switched him to the defensive side of the ball and by the time he was done, Gregory would have put in a career that would later earn him a spot on the Ivy League Football 25th Anniversary All-Time team.

Gregory made opposing teams crazy in the secondary and as a kick returner. He started his Ivy League career with a bang in his first Ivy League game against Princeton in 1971. In a game Columbia eventually won, Gregory intercepted Tiger QB Rod Plummer and went 56 yards for the TD to make it 13-7.

Gregory finished that season as an Honorable Mention All Ivy, but he was a first Teamer in both his junior and senior seasons of 1972 and 1973.

Gregory remains very close to the Columbia program and was my guest for a great interview during halftime of the Lafayette game last season.

Star of Two Prides: Tad Crawford as a BC Lion

Day 84: Tad Crawford '07

The Ontario native broke into the lineup right away as a freshman and played in all 10 games in 2003.

Then in each of his next three seasons, he ended up as the Lions' top tackler for the year. His biggest impact came in his senior campaign of 2006 when he also came in third in the Ivies for tackles. He was also a very steady punt returner, bringing stability to a position that had been more than a little shaky in the season before he got the job.

Now Tad is in the middle of his third season in the Canadian Football League, going from the Columbia Lions to the British Columbia Lions. In 2007, he had an outstanding rookie season with BC after being selected by the Lions in the third round of the CFL Draft. He wound up with nine defensive tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery.

Last year Tad avoided the sophomore jinx, recording 11 defensive tackles while adding another 12 on special teams. His highlight game of the season came against Edmonton on Aug 8th when he grabbed his first career interception and a blocked punt which resulted in a TD by teammate Rick Foley.

Day 83: Prosper Nwokocha '06

Originally, Nwokocha wanted to follow his brother Chuck and play for Harvard. But he settled on coming to Columbia and he ended up as one of the best corners and kick returners in CU history.

Harvard would come to really regret not grabbing Prosper in 2003, when his two interceptions sealed a shocking 16-13 win over the Crimson at a windy Wien Stadium.

My second favorite memory of Prosper was his kickoff return for a touchdown that turned things around in a 23-17 win over Fordham in 2005.

Nwokocha now works in Dallas as a personal banker at Bank of America.

Day 86: Columbia Lions' Roy Hanks

Jake Novak — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:36:00 -0400

Salpulpa High School in Oklahoma: Where the Roy Hanks legend began.

Today's memorable Columbia Lions' defensive back of the past makes the word "memorable" an understatement. When Roy Hanks '98 was on the field, or on campus, you remembered him. He made you remember him.

Hanks came to Columbia in 1994 from a small town outside of Tulsa and immediately made an impact as a freshman on a Lions team that earned the first winning season at Columbia in 23 years.

By the time he was done, head coach Ray Tellier would call Hanks the best defensive back he'd ever coached at CU.

During that freshman campaign, Hanks contributed in the secondary and as a kickoff return man. He made an interception to end the Elis final drive in the 30-9 whipping of Yale at the Bowl. A few weeks later, he recovered a fumble in a win over Cornell that clinched the winning season.

He continued to develop as a sophomore, enjoying many memorable games including a starring role in the 24-14 win over Penn. That win ended the Quakers' best-in-the-nation 24-game winning streak at the time. Hanks had a 39-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Lions the lead to stay in that game. Later, he knocked down a desperation Penn pass, and that iced the game.

A few weeks earlier at Harvard, his key punt return for a TD helped the Lions beat Harvard for the first Lion win over the Crimson since 1978.

In the magical 8-2, 1996 season, Hanks made First Team All-Ivy. It started on the right foot for Hanks as he intercepted a Harvard pass in OT to seal the victory on opening day.

He would repeat that feat the following year in his senior season, despite the Lion's disappointing 3-7 campaign.

But what made Hanks truly memorable was his outgoing personality. On the field, he was a big-time trash talker, but he just about always put his money where his mouth was.

He was outspoken in classes and on campus, too.

How outspoken?

I'm happy to announce that the New York Daily News, which did a great job covering the Lions during the happy days of the mid-1990s, has finally made its archives available online. So you can read this great profile of Hanks written in 1997 to get an idea of what a great personality he was.

Day 87: UNH & Chris Tillotson

Jake Novak — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:32:00 -0400

Will the Lions roam to the Granite State?

Bruce Wood of Big Green Alert is reporting that Columbia is one of the schools the University of New Hampshire is considering replacing Dartmouth with on its schedule after this year.

Taking on a team that has recently beaten BCS clubs like Northwestern sounds pretty scary... but it also could be fun.

And if we add UNH to the schedule, a scholarship-strength Fordham team won't look so scary anymore!

Chris Tillotson

Getting back to the "100 Players in 100 Days" countdown, I continue my look at notable Columbia defensive backs with the spotlight today on Chris Tillotson '99.

Chris was recruited first as a wide receiver, but he first started getting his feet wet helping out the great defense on the 1996 team that went 8-2.

In 1997 he earned honorable mention All Ivy honors, mostly because of his efforts at defensive back, but he also stepped in at wide receiver from time to time and scored some key touchdowns.

Tillotson's 1998 senior season didn't start out great, as he was suspended for the first two games, but he made up for it with stellar play the rest of the way.

It all came to an impressive crescendo against Cornell on November 14, 1998 when Tillotson almost singlehandedly defeated the Big Red in a 22-10 Columbia victory.

Tillotson finished the game with two interceptions, a 25-yard reception to set up one field goal, a cagy 12-yard punt return to set up another, a 17-yard game on a reverse, and a 70-yard return of a fumble recovery for the game-icing touchdown.

Tillotson finished the season as a first time All Ivy member, an impressive feat for someone benched for the first two games of a 10-game season.

Day 88: Ed Backus

Jake Novak — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:21:00 -0400

For a short, shining moment in the mid 1970's, it looked like the Columbia football team was going to make a return to respectability.

Under popular young Head Coach Bill Campbell, the team made some modest strides in 1974 and 1975, then things seemed to fall into place in the 1976 season, thanks to some heroics to star senior safety Ed Backus.

After stumbling out of the gate with a 34-10 loss to Harvard, the Lions got their first win of '76 with a 38-31 win over Lafayette at home, thanks to two interception returns for TD's by Backus.

A week later, Columbia went down to Franklin Field and eked out a 14-10 win, thanks in no small part to Backus' excellent work against the pass.

Sadly, the Lions anemic offense was finally exposed in the ensuing weeks and Columbia only won one more game all season.

But Backus, who had been a second team All Ivy honoree in '75, stood out enough to grab First Team honors his final year.

He was also a star baseball player for the blue and white, batting .368 his junior year and pitching the Ivy League championship clinching victory over Penn.

As a sophomore, Backus made headlines in the New York Times when he was mugged on campus, and the Times decided to use this as an example of how Morningside Heights was extremely dangerous.

Backus ended up mugging a lot of opposing players with big interceptions and rough tackles in his varsity career. He was inducted as member of Columbia's football team of the century in 2000.

After graduation Backus dived into the business world, eventually becoming an Eastern Division GM at Pepsi. He currently is the president of EMP Management where he provides consulting services in sales, marketing and strategic planning for restaurant and consumer product companies.

During some tough times for New York City and Columbia football, Ed Backus was a definite bright spot.

Charles Argast, Son of Ed Argast, To Consider Football

Jake Novak — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:17:00 -0400

Columbia's new offensive line coach, Ed Argast, has a talented son, Charles, who played defensive line for Fordham Prep. Charles is graduating this month and will go to Worcester Academy for a postgrad year.

Charles told Five Boro Sports he's hoping to get his weight up next year and hopefully get a scholarship offer. But does that mean he won't give his dad's new team a shot?

Tonight, Charles will play for the New York City team in the Empire Challenge.

Good luck!

Day 89: Lou Kusserow

Jake Novak — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:28:00 -0400

Lou Kusserow (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

As I continue my look at memorable defensive backs in Columbia history, many of you may be surprised to see Lou Kusserow '49 on this part of the list rather than among the running backs.

Kusserow may actually be the best running back in Lions history, but I want to focus on his amazing career as a pass defender this time. He was a key part of the Columbia defense in his time and he did it in the era when the players played offense and defense.

Kusserow was one of those rare players in the old days who was able to play varsity football all four years because of the war exception that was kept in effect until 1949 or so. (QB Gene Rossides was another one of those players). And because he stood out so much on both sides of the ball an argument could be made that he was the greatest football player in Columbia history.

Here are some of the more interesting records and tidbits from Kusserow's Lion career as a defensive back:

1) He still holds the Columbia record for most interceptions in one game with four. He did it in a 27-13 win over Yale in 1945. Kusserow is tied with three other Ivy players for that single game record, but he was the last to accomplish the four-pick feat, (Paul Busse of Princeton did it also against Yale in November of 1940).

2) He's tied with Phillip Murray '03 for the all-time Lion career interception record at 16. That ties him for fourth on the Ivy career list. (Princeton's Dean Cain, of acting fame, holds the record at 22).

3) He made what was perhaps the most significant interception in Columbia history, the pick off that iced the historic 21-20 win over Army in 1947. (He also rushed for a TD in that game).

4) During his four years roaming the secondary, Columbia's opponents averaged just 15.8 points per game. The Lion "D" allowed 30 or more points just 5 times in that 36-game stretch.

5) It was as a defensive back that Kusserow became a star in the Canadian Football League. He is still remembered fondly by Hamilton Tiger Cat fans who talk about the plays he made to help preserve a Grey Cup title.

6) He was also a great kick returner, and still holds the record for the longest kickoff return in Columbia history, a 100-yarder against Dartmouth in a 26-21 loss in Hanover.

In fact, a possibly apocryphal, but fun story about Kusserow involves his kick returning prowess. It goes something like this:

Before his first game, Lou Little warned Kusserow not to try to run back kick-offs if they went over the goal line, but to down the ball in the end zone.

The opening kick-off went to Kusserow over the goal line. Lou fumbled, recovered, fumbled again, grabbed the ball and started to run.

On the bench, Little sprang to his feet, his face red with anger. "Get that fool kid out of there!" he yelled to his assistant. Kusserow had reached his own ten-yard line and seemed trapped by a host of tacklers. Somehow, he squirmed away and wasn't caught until he had reached the enemy eight-yard line.

Little stuck out a hand to stop his assistant from carrying out the instruction he had just given.

"Let the kid stay in," Lou Little growled. "After all, he's only seventeen years old. You wouldn't want to shake his self-confidence, would you?"

After his playing days, Kusserow, like Columbia basketball great Chet Forte, became a pioneer of sports television. He won three emmys and produced several Super Bowl and World Series broadcasts.

Lou Kusserow died in 2001 at age 73. He was inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Siegel, Knowlin & Murray

Jake Novak — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:40:00 -0400

Day 92: John Siegal '39

Sometimes wide receivers and quarterbacks forge an incredible bond on the field that makes history. Take a few greats like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson, Dave Krieg and Steve Largent... the list goes on.

The most extraordinary QB-WR bond of all time may be the Sid Luckman to John Siegal connection because it began in college and continued into the NFL.

Luckman and Siegal started working together right during Luckman's first varsity game, a 34-0 rout of Maine at Baker Field.Siegal caught a thirty six yard bomb from Sid just when the Black Bears were getting into the habit of trying to stop Luckman from running the ball all over them.

Siegal would go on to play a big role in each of Luckman's greatest games as a Lion. That includes the surprising 27-14 win over Yale at the Yale Bowl in 1938, and the greatest game of Luckman's career, the 20-18 win over Army at West Point just one week after that Yale win.

Siegal joined Luckman as a member of the Chicago Bears in the 1939 season. He played on the Midway for five seasons through 1943, earning three NFL titles on the way.

However, his real purpose in Chicago was to study for a dental degree, which he earned at Northwestern.

John Siegal is still alive and living with family in Pennsylvania. I did get in touch with him last year, but he was too hard of hearing for even a phone interview. It was still great to talk to him briefly.

The moment we knew he was special: "AK" scoring his 1st TD in his very 1st game

Day 91: Austin Knowlin '10

The last of the tenwide receivers I want to focus on during this 100 day countdown to the season opener, is current star Austin Knowlin.

Even before his senior season, I have no hesitation when I say that Knowlin is a once-in-generation type player in Columbia history.

In three seasons, "AK" has done it all, he has grabbed tons of passes, scored handfuls of TD's, and returned kicks for scores. He gets open even when everyone knows the play is going to him. He simply makes things happen.

It all started in his very first game, a 37-7 win over Fordhamat Wien Stadium. Knowlin grabbed a sixty two yard TD catch to ice the win and announced his presence to the Lion faithful in grand fashion.

He is now in striking distance of a number of Columbia all-time records, including total receiving yards, total receptions, and receiving touchdowns.

Knowlin has been placed on the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason All-American second team for the coming season.

I look forward to chronicling a glorious final chapter in Knowlin's brilliant Columbia career.

Day 90: Philip Murray '03

Philip Murray, the man who is tied for the Columbia all-time record for interceptions at sixteen, leads off my list of ten memorable defensive backs in Lions history.

Murray came to CU from Mesquite, Texas and made an immediate impact in the 1999 season. By his sophomore year, he was a 1st Team All-Ivy at free safety. He fell back to the second team in 2001, but returned to the First Team in his senior campaign in 2002.

His best moment came in that 2001 season, when he picked off Yale QB Peter Lee and returned it for an 85 yard TD just seconds before halftime to give the Lions a 14-7 lead in an eventual 28-14 win. Before that play, Lee hadn't been intercepted all year and he was working on an Ivy League record for most attempts without a pick off.

A frustrating moment that I also won't forget came in Murray's final home game against Cornell in 2002. Clinging to a 14-10 lead, the Lions were trying to hold Cornell off in a final drive of the game. Murray made a great athletic move to almost pick off a pass by the Big Red's Rick Rahne, but it fell through his fingers. Just a few plays later, Cornell would score, snatching a win from Columbia's hands.

Murray's career was still impressive any way you look at it. Sophomores don't often make 1st Team All Ivy, and Murray is one of the rare few who did.

Day 94 and 93: Nick Demko and Adrian DeGasperis

Jake Novak — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:40:00 -0400

Nick DeGasperis, 2006 (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)

Sorry for missing the daily player countdown yesterday, but I am officially sick. It happens. Don't worry, I'm docking myself an imaginary pay check.

There is a bit of interesting news coming from the Athletic Department release on the incoming freshmen for the baseball team.

One of those players is the speedy Nick Crucet from Cypress Bay High School in Florida.
That's the same high school where incoming football freshman Joe Nathan hails from.

I say this is interesting because it seems like there are more and more cases where we find multiple Columbia athletes, on different teams, coming to us from the same high schools. I hope this is the result of our recruiters comparing notes about promising athletes, even when they don't play the particular sport they're scouting.

Synergy is a goal often strived for, but rarely achieved. It seems like some level of positive synergy is at work right now for us.

Player Countdown: Adrian Demko and Nick DeGasperis

Since I missed a day yesterday, it seems fitting to mark players number 94 and 93 by citing the WR duo of Adrian Demko and Nick DeGasperis, both class of 2007.

Nick DeGasperis came to Columbia as a two-sport athlete in football and baseball. He may have been the first Columbia recruit to get attention on the Internet as I remember a number of articles about him and his future college prospects showing up on the Web from his local paper in Schenectady, NY.

He was a great "possession-type" receiver who really stood out in his senior year of 2006. He did not grab any TD's that season, but he did have 35 receptions for 462 yards. He made some very gutsy grabs, holding on to the ball after really vicious hits, that helped set up key scores in the wins over Iona and Cornell. He had another crucial catch and run in the finale at Brown that helped set up the dramatic winning field goal in that game.

It's truly a travesty that DeGasperis only had one touchdown catch in his CU career; that one score came in a close loss at Brown in his sophomore season of 2004.

Adrian Demko grabs one vs. Harvard

At 6'3" and about 210 pounds, Adrian Demko brought a perfect size for his position to the table. Demko came to Columbia from the dominant Valparaiso High School program in Indiana, and while he never put up stunning stats, he did provide key leadership on the team as it transitioned from head coach Bob Shoop to the Norries Wilson era.

DeGasperis and Demko may not be the first names Columbia fans rattle off when they list their favorite receivers. But they made enough sacrifices on and off the field to deserve to be remembered well.