In recent years, Harvard has become a mini pro football factory — and there will be a few new members admitted to the club within the next few days.
FB/TE Anthony Firkser and OL Max Rich have received the most notice going into this week's NFL Draft, and both have a chance to be day three draft picks — just like Crimson O-line product Cole Toner was last year. Or maybe they'll sign as free agents and end up following the paths of Harvard products Anthony Fabiano and Ben Braunecker, who went that route last year and both ended up making rosters and starting games.
See the trend?
Along with Firkser and Rich this weekend, don't count out potential free agent contracts for D-tackles James Duberg or Doug Webb — who turned heads in his pro day when he did 30 reps of the 225-pound bench, and ran a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. That has led his stock to rise in recent weeks. Oh, and keep an eye on Larry Allen next year.
Harvard is about academics first — nobody questions that. The entire Ivy League is based upon that principle. But there is some pretty darned good football being played at these schools, and Harvard is producing some pretty impressive pro prospects — starting with Firkser and Rich. And if you ask this duo — which works out together daily — they point to head coach Tim Murphy and his staff. NFL staffs know what they're going to get with a Harvard product, too.
"They obviously look at it as a positive, that you're coming from Harvard and you're not going to come with a lot of problems," Rich told HERO Sports on Wednesday, about 24 hours prior to the draft kicking off. "Character is a pretty simple and straight forward thing. It's nice when you sit with a team and you talk with them and they see that you're going to learn quickly."
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Rich and Firkser have been listed this year by NFLDraftScout.com as potential 7th round picks or high priority free agents. So it is likely they'll know what NFL camp they're going to by the end of Saturday. Rich attended the New England Patriots' local day, and has been in contact with several teams but admits the poker faces are on with potential suitors. Firkser did local workout days with the New York Jets and New York Giants — as he is a New Jersey native — and also has visited with the Falcons and Rams.
The duo is dealing with different dynamics when it comes to their positions. The offensive tackle class is considered a bit thin this year by experts, which could bode well for the 6-foot-7, 312-pound Rich (did we tell you he has great feet?). On the flip side, the H-back/TE/FB situation is pretty crowded for Firkser, but his Pro Day numbers were impressive last month and so were his on-the-field numbers during college — catching 99 career passes for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns.
No matter what happens — they're drafted, they're signed as free agents, or they're out of football in a few years — they're in a good situation, obviously. Both have interned in their chosen fields and have nice careers ahead of them, no matter what happens with that oblong ball with leather laces. Rich is an economics major, while Firkser is an applied mathematics major.
So, needless to say — those NFL team interviews?: Piece of cake.
"I feel like coming out of Harvard prepares you for that," Firkser told HERO Sports. "I've done job interviews with consulting companies already, so sitting with teams and talking about yourself? That's easy … I can always get back and network after this (football) is all done."
Indeed.
