Early Decision Background

Here are a few details on the early decision class. A lot of this has been posted here before while some of the details have been shamelessly purloined from other sources:

Michael Cummings (Deerfield Academy, Mass.) 6-5, 240, defensive end/tight end

• All-New England
• 21 catches, 300 yards, 4 TD's last fall

Will Deevy (Kent Denver, Colo.) 6-5, 210 quarterback

• Slowed by hamstring last fall
• Opened eyes at Colorado camp and Manning Passing Academy
• High school teammate of Dartmouth WR Ian Ferrell
• Father is a Dartmouth alum
  

Tyler Green (Middlesex School, Mass.) 6-4, 255 linebacker

• 4.7 in the 40
• Was on Duke's radar

Spencer Hood (Carlsbad, Calif.), 6-3, 230 linebacker

• Helped team win two league titles
• Twin will play water polo at Brown

Matthew Kelly (Tampa Catholic, Fla.), 6-2, 180, punter/kicker

• Three field goals last year
• Long of 39

Steve Morris (Hinsdale Central, Ill.) , 6-0, 175, running back/defensive back

• Ran for five scores
• 232 yards receiving
• High school teammate of Dartmouth's James Lill

Carter Scott (Hammond, S.C.), , 6-1, 210 linebacker

• More than 100 tackles each of last year years
• AAA SC Independent School Defensive Player of the Year

Joseph Zimring (Mary-Institute Country Day, St. Louis) 6-0, 215, running back

• 894 yards as a junior
• Second-team all-league fullback

Committed to Dartmouth in the regular decision process are Alex Wodka (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) 6-3, 285 offensive guard and linebacker Chase Jensen of Bishop's School in La Jolla, Calif.. Jensen is also a long snapper.

USA Today has a story about 1980 Dartmouth alum Kevin Ryan, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California who has been the lead prosecutor in the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) case. From the story:

This is where he was a star high school running back three decades ago, hurling his body into the line 25 times a game. There was nothing fancy about his style, leading the West Catholic Athletic League in rushing. Oh, he was fast, captain of the track team, but at 5-11, 175, it was Ivy League Dartmouth recruiting him to play football. (Editor's note: He did not letter for the Big Green.)

The Brown Daily Herald talks with Zak DeOssie and coach Phil Estes about the linebacker's showing at the East-West Shrine Game.

Outside of football, today's Daily Dartmouth has a story about the Dartmouth swim teams leaving Hanover at 4:15 a.m., last Saturday to bus to Manchester, fly to Philadelphia and compete against Penn starting at 10:30 a.m., the same day. That's hardly an ideal way to go about things, but it kept costs down and allowed the student-athletes to make their Friday classes, which is particularly important to this group. From the story:

"(Coach Jim) Wilson requires a 3.0 GPA for all of his athletes. This standard is independent of the athletic department and the Ivy League. Last year, the men's swim team had the highest GPA of any D-I men's swimming program. The women's team also boasts a top-ten academic ranking among D-I women's swimming programs."

Wow. ...

Don't miss this ESPN story about Cornell basketball player Khaliq Gant, who had a 50 percent dislocation of the C-4 and C-5 vertebrae as a result of a practice injury. Don't cheat and read ahead, but make sure you make it to the end. You'll be glad you did.