"I've been calling recruits extensively and one of the first questions I ask is: 'Do you want to play in the NFL?' It's interesting. On our football team in preseason I ask everybody, 'Hey, how many of you guys want to play in the league?' Everybody's hand goes up. I talk about having an athletic dream. You put all of your energy into that athletic dream when it's that time.
Buddy Teevens
Then I ask, 'OK, what's your academic dream?' And I want them to put all their energy into that academic pursuit. ... Football is only going to go so long. I tell our guys that. 'Enjoy it while it lasts, but you never know.' A guy gets injured, it may be over."
And . . .
"We're fortunate. We have six guys right now that are actually being considered for the NFL.
"Niko, Lalos a defensive end, is 6-5, 270. He runs a 4.6 40. He was the player of the game in the Hula Bowl this year. He's a legitimate draft choice, and we're hoping. We haven't had a Dartmouth guy drafted in a while. We've had a number of guys sign as free agents and stick for a little bit, but we're hoping that Niko has an opportunity.
"Hunter Hagdorn is a (Houston area) guy from Manvel High School. He's got a chance as kind of a later-round guy or as a free agent. He was a very, very successful wide receiver for us. Jackson Perry, a defensive tackle out of Nevada, similar situation.
"Jared Gerbino, our quarterback, is kind of a hybrid. He won't be a quarterback in the league, but an H-back or receiver. He's 250 pounds and just a tough, tough guy for us.
"Zach Sammartino, an offensive lineman, has a similar situation where he may have a free agent opportunity. He's about 315 pounds and just a tough, tough, hard-nosed kid for us.
"And then Isaiah Swan. Isiah was a four -year starter, an All-American guy who broke the school record for interceptions. He's got an opportunity as a cover corner. He's one of the most secure tacklers in the league and probably one of the best in the country.
"The thing I love about it, they will all graduate this spring, four-year players finishing up their degree in four years."Editor's Note: It's a technicality but Perry and Sammartino were actually fifth-year seniors because of medical issues that cost them a season.
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Here's a spanking new highlight video of one of those NFL prospects, defensive tackle Jackson Perry (5), courtesy of former teammate Dylan Mellor:
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STATS has a posting that purports to list the Top-Ranked prospects by conference and their most likely draft projection. The site has Princeton quarterback Kevin Davidson going in the sixth or seventh round, and Swann as the other top Ivy hopeful being a priority free agent.
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NFL Draft Diamonds lists Swann among, "Guys with a good shot at hearing their name called but I have as High Priority Free Agents."
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Zach Sammartino continues to get a lot of attention, this time in the Pittsburgh Tribune's online site. (LINK)
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In case you are wondering, the virtual NFL Draft night will be aired on ESPN/ABC and the NFL Network from 8-11:30 tonight with all that time dedicated to just one round.
The second and third rounds will be aired tomorrow night from 7-11:30 and the fourth through seventh rounds will be broadcast Saturday from noon until 7 p.m. Teams get 10 minutes to make their selection in the first round and five minutes thereafter.
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The Stadium website (LINK) has story regarding the 2020 college football season that begins this way:
After weeks of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming college football season, 99 percent of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic directors polled by Stadium believe a season will be played in one form or another.
When exactly the season begins is the biggest question. Even though the start of college football is still four months away, 75 percent of the athletic directors believe the season will be delayed.Fully 114 of 130 ADs participated anonymously in the survey conducted by Stadium last week. Here are the percentages of FBS athletic directors who believe:
• Season starts as scheduled: 24 percentAgain, find the full story HERE.
• Season will be conference only, starting in October or November: 20 percent
• It will be a 12-game season starting in October or November: 41 percent
• It will be conference only played in the spring: 3 percent
• It will be a 12-game season played in the spring: 11 percent
• There will be no college football this fall: 1 percent
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It may well be that others have already made the announcement and others likely will in the days to come but the University of Missouri has announced it will resume classes on campus in the fall. That's one of the first steps toward a college football season in 2020.
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After 23 years behind the bench, Dartmouth men's ice hockey coach Bob Gaudet ’81 has announced his retirement. He is the all-time winningest coach in Dartmouth hockey history with a 331-340-81 record with the Big Green. Find a Dartmouth release HERE and a short story in the local daily HERE.Green Alert Take: It feels as if I've known Bobby forever and I liked him from Day One. Although I was the basketball guy when I was at the newspaper every last time I covered a game, needed to talk with Bob for the paper, or had to touch base with him subsequently for freelance projects he was accessible, enormously helpful, honest and friendly. I looked forward to each meeting or call I had with him. He's a good guy through-and-through and he'll be missed.
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EXTRA POINTI'm sure this has been written or asked by people funnier than I am but it occurred to me immediately after hearing on last night's news that several more tigers at the Bronx Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19.
My question is/was: Who volunteered to stick a swab up the tigers' nostrils?
(No emails on that one, please. It was a joke.)
