football-friends-list April 2003

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three Harvard football players sign NFL contracts

by Paul McNeeley

Hello again Harvard Football alums, Friends and fans, In case you had not heard ... Crimson Grid Trio Sign Free Agent Contracts Morris Headed To Indianapolis Colts, Soriano To Packers and Fadule To Steelers http://gocrimson.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042803aaa.html April 28, 2003 -- Harvard Athletics Web site Three senior Harvard football players have signed free agent contracts with NFL teams. Two-time Ivy League Player of the Year Carl Morris has reached an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts, offensive guard Jamil Soriano has signed with the Green Bay Packers, and offensive tackle Jack Fadule has inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Morris holds eight of Harvard's nine major receiving marks and finished his career with 245 catches. Last fall, he ranked second in the country in both receptions per game (9.0) and receiving yards per game (128.8) and was a finalist for the Payton Award as the nation's top Division I-AA player. He was an Associated Press 1st Team All-American. Soriano and Fadule both earned All-Ivy League and All-New England honors and were part of an offense that ranked eighth in the country yards per game (426.7) The pair showed they could both run-block and pass-block -- the Crimson threw for 262.7 yards per game (14th in the country) and rushed for 164.0 yards per game, second-best in the Ivy League. Harvard football has a visible presence in the professional ranks. Matt Birk '98 is a two-time Pro Bowl center with the Minnesota Vikings, Isaiah Kacyvenski '00 is a starting linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks, and offensive tackle Mike Clare '01 is property of the New England Patriots and is playing in NFL Europe with the Frankfurt Galaxy. -- Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296

21 years

Boston Globe story on Carl Morris

by Paul McNeeley

Hello again Harvard Football Friends, alums and fans, Just wanted to pass along a story on Carl Morris from this morning's Boston Globe ... the print edition also includes two pictures and two info boxes. One of the info boxes lists Harvard's five NFL draft picks of the past 20 years and follows the story below. NFL DRAFT '03 Morris's pro dream hasn't been dashed http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/113/sports/Morris_s_pro_dream_hasn_t_been… By Michael Smith, Globe Staff, 4/23/2003 So Carl Morris never will be mistaken for Randy Moss. (And, since we're on the subject, nor is he likely to make the kind of personal and professional mistakes the Vikings receiver has. Vern and Jane Morris wouldn't have it.) Offensive coordinators won't call many ''go'' routes for Morris in the pros, nor will jump balls in the end zone be as advantageous a situation for him as they were in the Ivy League. Morris's 40-yard dash time of 4.63 seconds is impressive for a middle linebacker. One of the draft's top quarterbacks, Cal's Kyle Boller, not only ran faster (4.6) but jumped 2 inches higher (351/2) at the scouting combine than the former Harvard wideout. This is just a guess, but, Morris's name probably won't be included in debates over the NFL's fastest man. All of which is fine. Morris isn't attempting to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. Until they start keeping track of yards without the catch, there will remain a need for 6-foot-2-inch, 214-pound receivers like Morris who do nothing but catch the ball. ''He's a tough guy,'' said an AFC scout. ''And good blocker. He'll go over the middle. The main concern with him will be whether he can separate from defenders. But there are a lot of guys around who are that type of receiver. Those guys can be very productive.'' ''All I can say is, football isn't played on a track,'' said Morris, the most prolific receiver in Harvard history, who is projected as a middle-to-late-round pick in this weekend's draft. ''I don't think [the 40 time] is going to hurt me as much as people say. Teams tell me I play faster. There are guys out there that run a 4.3 40 that play at 4.6.'' The past five months have been a blur for Morris. No sooner did he complete his collegiate career than he was off to start his professional one. He went to Atlanta on several weekends between the end of his senior season and the winter break to work with renowned trainer Chip Smith. He would be out on Thursday evening and back by Monday morning. The month-long ''break'' was anything but for Morris; he spent it in Atlanta training with Smith. All except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which he spent with his family at home in Sterling, Va. He was back in Atlanta the next morning. Morris played in the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco Jan. 11, and returned to Harvard two days before his first of four final exams. Two days after his last exam, it was off to Hawaii for the Hula Bowl, in which he threw a 39-yard touchdown pass. From there it was back to work, which meant back to Atlanta for a few more weeks. Morris, an economics major who is due to graduate in June, managed not to neglect his classes, as his teachers allowed him to e-mail his assignments. Then came the combine in Indianapolis. ''I used to like to fly,'' Morris said. ''Now I'm tired of it. If I see another plane ... ''It's been exciting. But I just want to get it over with.'' Spring break wasn't much of a break, either. He spent it training (and golfing) in Phoenix, though there have been reports that a getaway to Cancun contributed to a disappointing pro day at Harvard March 17, when he ran closer to 4.7 and jumped around 281/2 inches. ''I've never been to Cancun,'' he insisted. Morris also said that his low vertical jump should be attributed to his hitting the bottom of the Vertex machine. He also denied reports that he had a party planned for draft weekend, unless you consider watching ESPN with your three roommates to be a party. ''How am I going to have a party if I don't know what day I'm going to be drafted?'' he said. The ''when'' and ''where'' aren't as important to Morris as the ''what'' and ''how.'' ''Where I get drafted isn't as important to me as getting into a camp and doing well,'' he said. Morris already has worked out for the Ravens, Redskins (his favorite team growing up), and Vikings, and will audition for the Patriots Friday. ''I think I'd be a solid possession/slot receiver,'' Morris said. ''I do a pretty good job of reading defenses and finding holes in zone coverages. I saw a lot of different defenses and new coverages this year, but I showed that I could still be productive with all those coverages being thrown at me.'' He also caught nearly everything thrown his way: 90 receptions for 1,288 yards and 8 touchdowns last season, 71 catches for 943 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2001 (when he was Ivy League Player of the Year), and 60 for 920 and 8 as a sophomore. Hard to believe he was a baseball, basketball, and soccer player until his junior year at Episcopal School in Alexandria, Va. More difficult than separating from faster defensive backs for Morris may be shaking the Ivy League stigma. ''He did a good job at a lower level of competition,'' the scout said, ''but it's not like he played down to the competition. He's got a lot of positives, obviously intelligence, and he knows how to read zones. From what I hear, he's got all the intangibles. I don't see any reason why he can't come in and compete.'' For receptions, not gold medals. Harvard's chosen ones If wide receiver Carl Morris is drafted this weekend, he'll be just the sixth Crimson player selected by the NFL in the past 20 years. The others: 1984 -- Joe Azelby (LB), Bills, 10th Round, 263rd pick 1985 -- Roger Caron (OT), Colts, 5th Round, 117th pick 1989 -- Tony Hinz (RB), Patriots, 11th Round, 294th pick 1998 -- Matt Birk (C), Vikings, 6th Round, 173rd pick 2000 -- Isaiah Kacyvenski (LB), Seahawks, 4th Round, 119th pick -- Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296

21 years

Harvard football spring game this Friday, April 25th

by Paul McNeeley

Hello Harvard Football Friends, fans and alums! The spring inter-squad scrimmage is this Friday, April 25th at 4 p.m. at the Stadium. Come out and catch a glimpse of the 2003 edition of the Crimson football team! Admission is free, and parking is free and available inside Gate 6 at the Stadium. Hope to see you there! -- Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296

21 years

New York City Dinner

by hvc

SAVE THE DATE! MAY 14, 2003 The Friends of Harvard Football Annual New York City Dinner Join Tri-State area alums and Coach Tim Murphy for dinner at The Harvard Club of New York. (27 West 44th Street New York City, NY). Come see the 2002 Highlight film, hear Coach Murphy preview the upcoming 2003 season and the incoming Class of 2007. $100 Per person 6:00 p.m. Cocktails 7:00 p.m. Dinner Invitations will be in the mail next week. We hope you all will join us! -- Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center Boston, MA 02163 (617) 495-3535 (617) 496-8296 fax http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hvc

21 years

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football-friends-list April 2003