On Sunday the NFL will debut a new kind of Combine. It is the result of an idea put forth by Dartmouth graduate Dan August '07, and a year and a half of planning. This Combine will see 100 pro veterans who are looking for a second chance being evaluated in a one-day event at the Arizona Cardinals' facility.
From a Bloomberg report:
August, who two months ago took over as the NFL’s head of strategic marketing and planning, had the idea of giving unemployed veteran players the chance to work out for all 32 teams in one place instead of waiting for invitations. It was also efficient for teams, a spin on the league’s annual Scouting Combine for draft-eligible college players.Working on the project along with August were former Yale jayvee punter and placekicker Josh Helmrich, and Penn grad Samantha Kleinman. Longtime NFL standout Matt Birk of Harvard, now the NFL's director of football development, was involved once the idea was given the green light.
There's a Q&A with August about his Dartmouth background and how it helped prepare him for the NFL in a posting by the Dartmouth Center for Professional Development. Find it HERE.
August's wife, Joanna Hunter August '06, is the director of corporate communications for the NFL. Interestingly, the two met not at Dartmouth but once Dan joined the NFL.
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Speaking of the NFL, The Sports Network has capsule looks at what it considers the most promising 40 or so prospects from the FCS ranks. There are three Ivy Leaguers included and one other player Dartmouth faced last fall.Included on the TSN report are Harvard center Nick Easton, Crimson defensive lineman Zack Hodges, Yale tailback Tyler Varga and New Hampshire receiver RJ Harris. Find the story HERE.
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If I'm reading it right, the undefeated Princeton women's basketball team's game against Wisconsin Green Bay will be part of whip-around coverage for most of the nation on ESPN2 today at 11. Depending on where you live you might be able to see the entire game on "the Deuce," but it appears you will be able to see the whole game on ESPN3. No promises, though :-(
