Friday, August 25, 2023

Meet Niko Lalos

Down in New Orleans there's a story behind a paywall headlined, Meet Niko Lalos, the Saints' preseason sack machine trying to beat odds and make 53-man roster. Lalos '20, of course, is the former Dartmouth defensive end who had three sacks and a deflection in last week's preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the story out of NOLA Lalos credits his spring play in the XFL: (LINK):

“I think I’ve probably had the best camp in the preseason of my career honestly,” Lalos said. “Just getting those extra reps in the spring helped me and has really translated to here.”

He says he’s reading and reacting quicker now. The game isn’t as fast to him as it was.

“It’s almost like seeing the Matrix,” Lalos said. “Everything just has slowed down.”

More from the story:

The game likely won’t be enough for him to crack the Saints’ 53-man roster, especially when you look at how stacked the defensive end room is already with players like Cam Jordan, Carl Granderson, Payton Turner, Tanoh Kpassagnon and rookie Isaiah Foskey. But it was the type of outing to at least make Dennis Allen and his staff take notice. 

And finally this, which somehow slipped past most of us:

In high school, he won back-to-back football state championships before some guy named Joe Burrow ended his chance for a three-peat the next season in the semifinals.  

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Brown's James Perry will serve as the Ivy Leaguers' head coach.

Find an Ivy League release about the renewal of the game HERE.

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Craig Haley, the onetime Princeton beat writer who now heads up the FCS efforts at The Analyst, has posted a solid Ivy League football preview that pegs Dartmouth to finish sixth, the same as the conference media poll. The Big Green doesn't make the cut in either the Five Players to Watch, or Five Must-See Matchups lists. Check out Haley's comments (pun intended) HERE.

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HERO Sports ranks the 128 FCS teams in terms of difficulty of schedule using the Massey algorithm. Here's where the Ivy League teams sit (LINK):

66 Brown

75 Cornell

77 Dartmouth

78 Harvard

84 Yale

87 Penn

88 Columbia 

92 Princeton

The toughest schedule in the country? Per HERO's listing it's Idaho State. The easiest schedule? That belongs to Davidson. 

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From yet another story out of Colorado, headlined, Colorado DL Shane Cokes primed to shine at Power 5 level; Dartmouth graduate Shane Cokes has further developed his body and leadership skills each year in college, and now he is the leader of Colorado's defensive line unit (LINK): 


"I've leaned on him a lot," (position coach Sal) Sunseri said of Cokes. "He comes out to work every single day. He's a true pro. He's a grown up and a leader. I'm extremely happy with him."


and . . .


"Early on in my Dartmouth career, I wasn't so outspoken. I was more to myself, more lead by example than vocally," Cokes said. "But here, especially with everyone coming in, this new group of guys, I have to be that vocal leader and also lead by example. Doing both, I've accepted that role and trying to live up to it to the fullest."

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From a story out of Seattle headlined, ‘More Bobo’: How this Seahawks undrafted rookie has gone from no expectations to camp star (LINK):

Jackson “Jake” Bobo was heavily recruited to play football at Dartmouth. He was an all-league football, basketball and track athlete at Belmont Hill School just north of Boston. He chose Duke.

and . . .

The 25-year-old son of former Dartmouth quarterback (sic) Mike Bobo and Dartmouth ice hockey defender Casey Hagerman, grandson of former SMU and Dallas Cowboys player Keith Bobo, is 6 feet 4 and 207 pounds. Jake Bobo has the bulk to block and the height to catch passes above most defensive backs. He is showing the savvy to get open against zone and man coverage.

Editor's note: Mike Bobo, of course, was a wide receiver for the Big Green. 

More from the story:

Through two preseason games, Bobo is among the NFL receiving leaders. His average of 19.6 yards per catch is fourth in the league among all receivers with at least four catches this month. He is ninth in receiving yards (98), with five catches on six targets from Smith and Lock.

And . . .

(E)very practice, every day, Bobo keeps on Bobo-ing. He has become a locker-room legend this summer.

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EXTRA POINT

There are concerns in these parts about how this summer of non-stop rain (it's coming down yet again) will affect the foliage season. That remains to be seen (another pun), but if this leaf I noticed on a hike with Mrs. BGA yesterday is any indication, the "leaf peepers" are in for a checkered experience. (And yup, that was another pun.)


 
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