DCAfter posting Friday's trivia question from Axios about colleges and universities that have produced both a U.S. President and a "Super Bowl-winning"quarterback my in-box delivered several reminders that Princeton's Bob Holly was a reserve quarterback on the 1982 Washington football team that defeated the Dolphins in 1983, and the Tigers' Jason Garrett was a backup QB with the Cowboys teams that defeated the Buffalo Bills in 1992 and '93.
And that both James Madison and Woodrow Wilson went to Princeton.
By "Super Bowl-winning" Axios meant the winning QB like the winning pitcher in baseball. You can't be credited with a "W" if you never leave the bullpen ;-)
Anyway, that sent me scurrying to the Ivy League media guide to look up Ivy Leaguers who have been on Super Bowl champion teams. Because the media guide hasn't been updated since the 2017 season I had to move Brown grad James Develin to the top of the list for most "wins" on a Super Bowl team and sort through the listing to add Super Bowl teams and positions, and to double-check a few names.
Along the way I realized for the first time why the NFL always refers to Super Bowls by Roman Numerals. Do you call the Super Bowl that was played on Jan. 30, 1983 the 1983 Super Bowl? Or is it the 1982 season Super Bowl? Much easier to say it was Super Bowl XVII.
All that said, here are the former Ivy Leaguers who have been active on winning Super Bowl teams, whether they appeared in the game or not. This isn't meant to include "practice squad" players, although it's possible one snuck through. Corrections welcomed ;-)
|
No. |
Name |
Pos |
School |
Team(s) |
Super Bowl Season |
|
3 |
James Develin |
FB |
Brown |
Patriots |
2014, 1016, 2018 |
|
2 |
Kenny Hill |
DB |
Yale |
Raiders/Giants |
1983/1986 |
|
2 |
Jason Garrett |
QB |
Princeton |
Cowboys |
1992, 1993 |
|
2 |
Kevin Boothe |
OG |
Cornell |
Giants |
2007, 2011 |
|
2 |
Zak DeOssie |
LS |
Brown |
Giants |
2007, 2011 |
|
1 |
Chuck Mercein |
FB |
Yale |
Packers |
1967 |
|
1 |
John Dockery |
DB |
Harvard |
Jets |
1968 |
|
1 |
Calvin Hill |
RB |
Yale |
Cowboys |
1971 |
|
1 |
Bob Holly |
QB |
Princeton |
Washington |
1982 |
|
1 |
George Starke |
OT |
Columbia |
Washington |
1982 |
|
1 |
Derrick Harmon |
RB |
Cornell |
49ers |
1984 |
|
1 |
Gary Fencik |
DB |
Yale |
Bears |
1985 |
|
1 |
Sean Morey |
WR |
Brown |
Steelers |
2005 |
|
1 |
Jim Finn |
FB |
Penn |
Giants |
2007 |
|
1 |
Matt Birk |
C |
Harvard |
Ravens |
2012 |
|
1 |
Bryan Walters |
WR |
Cornell |
Seahawks |
2013 |
Baaron Pittenger came to the USOC in 1977 after a very successful career in collegiate athletics, having served as the Sports Information Director at Brown University from 1955-59 and at Harvard University from 1959-70, then as Associate Director of Athletics from 1970-77.
•
EXTRA POINT
OK, one more hiking note.
I arrived at the trailhead yesterday to find a half-dozen cars already parked in the lot. That's unusual. I'm normally the only head case going up the mountain when the temperature is in the mid-teens or lower.
Ah, but we got perhaps a half foot of powder from several mini-storms during the week and I'm guessing the weekend brought out folks who have been champing at the bit to finally trot out those shiny new snowshoes they found under the tree on Christmas morning.
The smiling models in the LL Bean catalogue look as if they are having great fun snowshoeing, but trust me when I tell you maneuvering with pontoon boats on your feet is serious work. Particularly uphill. And it makes absolutely no sense to strap them on when the trail is already packed down, which was the case yesterday when snowshoes were nothing but an annoying encumbrance.
I have two pairs of snowshoes, the old wood-and-rawhide type that is best tacked to the wall for decoration and a pair with a tubular frame and synthetic decking. If we get 18-24 inches of snow, I'll head out on a nearby field with them. A flat field.
I'm not going to take them up the mountain. I'll leave that to others and then say a quiet thank you while I blow by them in hiking shoes and microspikes.
