Headed to Hawaii for the Jan. 26 Hula Bowl all-star game is All-Ivy League Dartmouth defensive end Niko Lalos. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Lalos was chosen to the All-New England team this fall after making 35 tackles including 10 for a loss, 5.5 sacks, returning an interception for a touchdown in the win over Princeton at Yankee Stadium and being credited with six pass breakups.
The Hula Bowl was played in Honolulu from 1947-2008 and in its new incarnation will have an eclectic feel. From the Bowl website:
"The game will include NCAA college football players from all divisions, along with international players from Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UK. In addition, the game will always include Polynesian players with historic ties to the Islands."
Former NFL head coaches Rex Ryan and Mike Smith will head up the opposing teams in a game that will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network on Jan. 26 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.
Lalos joins former teammates Isiah Swann and Zach Sammartino in seeing postseason action. Swann and Sammartino both took part in the College Gridiron Showcase and on Saturday Swann played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
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While only one will play a couple of Ivy Leaguers will have a dog in the fight when the Chiefs and 49ers square off in the Super Bowl. Harvard alum Kyle Juszczyk is the four-time All-Pro fullback for San Francisco. Former Princeton quarterback John Lovett has been on injured reserve all year with Kansas City, which lists him as a fullback. (Onetime New Hampshire offensive tackle Andrew Lauderdale – who took part in a pro day at Dartmouth – is on the 49ers injured reserve.)
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Former Harvard tight end Anthony Firkser caught a touchdown pass yesterday for the Titans.
During halftime of that game I Googled Dartmouth alum Casey Cramer '04 to see if the Titans' former fullback/tight end was still Tennessee's team chaplain, a role he assumed in 2015. (LINK) Turns out he stepped down from the role to devote more time to his church and growing family. Here's a video from a little over a year ago that will give you a sense about Casey's life these days:
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Dartmouth Athletic Director Harry Sheehy will be a guest of Big Green play-by-play announcer Brett Franklin on 945ESPN radio at approximately 12:20 p.m. today. It's a pretty good guess Brett will ask him about Dartmouth's mysterious Game One opponent. You can stream the program HERE. It will be replayed at 6 p.m.
