The latest entry in Dartmouth athletics' social media tour of position groups takes a look at the tight ends. Watch it below or if you prefer to read a lightly edited transcript of what tight end/associate head coach Wendy Laurent and senior tight end Alex Geraci had to say, that is included below the video:
Tight ends coach Wendy Laurent:
"I like the group. It’s a good group. We lost a couple of guys from last year that were older but it helps having a guy coming back like Geraci. He's a versatile kid. He's a strong kid, but he's still athletic and can move in space and do some permanent blocking. So he creates a lot of mismatches for us. He's a huge weapon. He brings that leadership mindset and mentality to the room.
"Guys like Chris Corbo. He's played some snaps and he's scored some touchdowns for us in the past. He's going to, I think, take that next step knowing that he's got to be a leader for us and be a guy that we can depend on. He's embracing that role.
"The same as Sean Ward. He's come along as well. Another big, strong kid with a good mentality and a good mindset that will work his tail off. He's going to do real well for us also. And then you've got guys like Sean Harmon, who are older guys that have come a long way and have helped us a lot as well and gotten better every day.
"So I think it's a good group. It's a good mix of group guys. Especially based off the last year, losing those two older guys, I think we've got a good group coming back. It's an exciting group. It's a hungry group.
"It's a group that they know they've got something to prove and they're going after it every day. They're very hungry. I like their attention to detail, their sense of urgency, just their mindset. I like where their mindset is at and they're growing every day. It's been great to see throughout camp and I think it'll just continue going on. They're going to be great players for us when it's all said and done."
Alex Geraci:
"I think our group as far as the team goes is on the younger side when it comes to experience. But I don't think that's affected our play at all in the camp. We've been stacking good days. I think we've been gaining confidence every day that goes by. I think we've been a real problem when it comes to matchups.
"Playing the tight end position is mental just as much as it is physical. We've got some guys that are really understanding the schemes. We've got some athletic guys and the ball's been coming our way. We've definitely been making plays most of the time it's come our way.
"Throughout the course of camp I think we've become a real confident group. We're real comfortable knowing what we're doing. After then it just comes to playing fast, which we have been doing."
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This is fun.
Now, less than a handful of years later, he's hit the big-time, being named the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Knicks. Read a release about his appointment HERE.
If the name is familiar but not the voice or the face, his new role offers the perfect opportunity to revisit Dartmouth's wild 54-44 win over Princeton in 2017 when the teams combined for 51 points in the fourth quarter alone. During the 2020 COVID hiatus the new Knicks' broadcaster hosted a look back at that amazing game.
Enjoy the game . . . and congratulations Tyler!
Green Alert Take: As I watched the fourth quarter of that back-and-forth game progress it was obvious neither team could stop the other and the last team to have the ball would win. And it worked out that way. Dartmouth's inexorable march down the field and final touchdown from scrimmage left time for only a kickoff and a fittingly wild play that resulted in another Big Green score.
Given that it was clear Dartmouth was going to all-but run out the clock before scoring the go-ahead touchdown, I wondered contemporaneously if Princeton might be better relaxing its defense and allowing the Big Green to score with enough time left to be the team to win it with a touchdown at the end.
I actually asked Princeton coach Bob Surace about that in the postgame press conference and he answered the way I knew he would. He said he believed in his defense and that it would keep Dartmouth from taking the lead, so no, he wouldn't have done that.
I don't know if there's a football coach alive who would have played the final minutes the way I thought Princeton could have, but it sure would have been fun to see how that strategy would have worked out.
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EXTRA POINT
Mrs. BGA and I are headed for a weekend wedding celebration at a former girls camp on a lake in New Hampshire's White Mountains. We've been told there's no cell service around the camp (not that it affects me ;-) and I'm guessing lack of internet might be an issue as well. If BGA goes quiet for the weekend, now you'll know why. At the very least, I'll see you Monday as we begin game week!
Mrs. BGA and I are headed for a weekend wedding celebration at a former girls camp on a lake in New Hampshire's White Mountains. We've been told there's no cell service around the camp (not that it affects me ;-) and I'm guessing lack of internet might be an issue as well. If BGA goes quiet for the weekend, now you'll know why. At the very least, I'll see you Monday as we begin game week!
