Ivies and the NFL

The signing of Casey Cramer by the Tennessee Titans raised the number of Ivy Leaguers on active NFL rosters to 13. It's more than likely that there are at least a couple of others (including Jay Fiedler) who will be signed or promoted from a practice squad before the year is through. The idea of 15 or 16 Ivy products in the NFL got me wondering how that the number has changed, and so I did a little digging in the archives. Here's what I found:

In 1970 there were six Ivy products in the NFL (albeit a smaller league).
In 1990 there were five Ivies in the NFL.
In 1996, a decade ago, there were five Ivies in the NFL.
In 2000 there were eight Ivies in the NFL.
In 2003 there were 15 Ivies in the NFL
Last year there were 16 Ivies in the NFL.

Green Alert Take: Freshman eligibility and the addition of spring practice aren't the only factors, but they have contributed to the rise in NFL-caliber players coming into the league and coming out of the league. There's a feeling around the league that the level of coaching/ intensity of recruiting has risen in the past decade and that has contributed as well. The reduction in I-A scholarships may also have had a trickle-down effect. Just think about what might happen if the Ivies were finally allowed to go to the playoffs. Any thoughts?

Among those taking aim at further expanding the number of Ivies in football's version of The Show is Brown grad Chas Gessner, just signed to the Tampa Bay practice squad. This story refers to him as, "was one of the surprise standouts of training camp, a big (6-4, 215) and physical receiver who also showed the ability to get deep."

The Columbia Spectator reports that Craig Hormann has won the starting QB job for the Lions, as expected. Apparently new Coach Norries Wilson has cut down the offense to make it more comfortable for his young quarterback.

Matt Dougherty of The Sports Network has named as his Mid-Major Team of the Week the Northeast Conference. No question it was a great week for teams in a conference that Ivy coaches have only in recent years even thought about scheduling. As Matt writes: "Albany made the biggest noise by defeating Lehigh, but the entire Northeast Conference showed what a difference some scholarships can make."

Dougherty also tosses a bouquet at old friend Pete Lembo, the onetime Dartmouth assistant and former Lehigh head coach, after his Elon squad upended Coastal Carolina. Matt writes: "Elon should be better with Pete Lembo at the helm, but no one expected the Phoenix to beat a top 25 team in Lembo’s first game. "