Steve Potysman: A Little Big Man

He's the guy whom all the wimpy House football defensive backs try to emulate. He's the fella that sticks his head and most of his body in to bring down the 6 ft., 3 in., 210 lb. running back who's made his way past the beef trust in the defensive line.

And maybe you've been too busy watching semi-goliaths Baggott, Savage Kaseta and Beiling, or maybe you've been too preoccupied tabulating Paul Halas's interceptions this season, but you can't call yourself a Harvard football fan if you've overlooked the strong season-long performance turned in by Crimson cornerback Steve Potysman.

Nevertheless, it's easy for someone like Potysman to get lost in the gridiron shuffle. In a world of walking skyscrapers, Steve plays the part of the condominium. He stands only 5-ft. 10-in. tall and jiggles the scales at 165 lbs.

"I got letters from all the big schools, but none of them would give me any aid because of my size. They all told me that if I wanted to play football I'd have to be a walk-on," Potysman says.

So Potysman took the long walk from Northbrook, Illinois to Cambridge three years ago and packed his bags with awesome "Midwest Style" tackling and heady receiver coverage. Moreover Potysman, fresh from a 12-0 Glenbrook North High School squad that was ranked second in the nation, brought along a winning attitude.

After starting at cornerback for the 1975 freshman team, Steve became one of the few sophomores to earn a varsity letter last fall, due mainly to his kamakazi-like tendencies on the special teams. He was almost boring in his consistency at making the initial hit or tackle on punts and kickoffs.

"It's tough for anyone to break into [Coach Joe] Restic's system as a sophomore. But the coaches found a spot for me and that's where I tried to help the team. This season there was an opening at cornerback because our two starters graduated, and that's where they asked me to do the job this year," he said.

With one game left on schedule Potysman ranks second on the squad behind Halas in interceptions with three and is sixth in tackles. In addition he's done a more than adequate job at the usually hazardous occupation of returning punts. Potysman has definitely done the job, with quite a bit of overtime to boot.

One of those seniors that Potysman replaced was another out of the "Little Big Man" mould, last year's Captain Billy Emper. Like his Illinoian counterpart. Emper week in and week out had to cover receivers that grotesquely outweighed him and towered over him. The usual result: the ends came up empty-handed and Emper was twice named to the All-Ivy squad.

Now, this is not to say that Potysman will follow in the cleat-marks of Emper, but it's well known that Yale boasts a pair of trucks with sure hands at the ends in John Spagnola and Bob Krytyniak and that all 70 inches of Potysman will have a full day's work ahead of them tomorrow at the Yale Bowl.

"Against the bigger receivers I try to play them a little deeper and go for the ball instead of the man; that way it cuts down their size advantage a little," he said.

Potysman has gone up against the big guys before,.most notably 6 ft., 3 in. Jeff Nardherney of Dartmouth. "He's the toughest that I've faced so far this season," Potysman said. But he added that he "feels more confident with every game."

And who knows? Maybe the play of Steve Potysman this year will be an inspiration for all short, but aggressive and concentration-minded, House football defensive backs to give Restic's squad a go next fall. But as Dustin Hoffman will tell you, there's only room for one Little Big Man at a time.