Without Staph, Palazzo Assumes Load

After an undefeated season in which the Harvard football team virtually rewrote its offensive record book, it’s tempting for followers of the Crimson to think big thoughts heading into 2002.

But, in every sense, Harvard Coach Tim Murphy wants his team to think small.

Last week—one day before the Crimson trounced Stony Brook, 41-17, in its first scrimmage—Murphy emphasized the need to approach the season one game at a time and affirmed his commitment to 5’3 junior Nick Palazzo as his starting tailback.

The Crimson returns most of its skill players on offense, including senior wide receiver Carl Morris, last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year, and fifth-year senior quarterback Neil Rose.

But on Friday, Murphy suggested that it is Palazzo who will be one of the most important cogs in Harvard’s offensive attack, especially given the Crimson’s lack of depth at his position.

After Palazzo, the Crimson have only a pair of unknowns, sophomore Nick Carrington and freshman Mike Montgomery, at tailback.

“We need Nick for ten games,” Murphy said. “He is not only a great football player despite his diminutive status, but he is one of those guys who really energizes our entire football team. He’s one of the most respected people on the team, he’s one of the hardest workers, and guys really get excited to play with him and around him.”

During the past two seasons, Palazzo has been used effectively as the smaller back in a two-back tandem, pairing with senior Matt Leizsler in 200 and with Josh Staph ’01 last year. But while Murphy was hesitant commit to Palazzo for 20-plus carries per game prior to last season, he left no doubt last week.

“Nick has averaged over five yards per carry since coming here as a freshman, so he is, on paper, the most productive running back in Harvard history by average,” Murphy said. “Nick may be short, but he’s not small. He’s literally only 5’4—we might put him at 5’7 in the program but that’s generous. But if he were six feet tall, he’d be 235 lbs. He’s just a strapped kid.”

Aside from making Palazzo one of the rare running backs who averages close to his height in yards per carry, those numbers also put him in elite company.

Chris Menick ’00, the Crimson’s all-time leading rusher, averaged 4.6 yards per carry for his career and 5.1 in 1997, his most productive season. Palazzo has averaged 5.4 in the last two.

Of course, a substantial amount of those yards can be credited to the offensive lines ahead of Palazzo—a group that included an NFL prospect in Mike Clare ’01 two years ago and four senior starters last season.

Palazzo is fully aware of their contributions.

“I definitely think [my success] is a tribute to the play of the other guys on the team, the offensive linemen,” Palazzo said. “They’re the ones that deserve all the credit. A lot of people offer me credit when they’re the ones that are working hard to win games.”

Given the offensive line’s importance in the past, a front five that returns only senior tackle Jamil Soriano as a starter may be of some concern. At the very least, the line is still a work in progress, but it’s one Rose is confident in.

“I have total confidence in our offensive line,” Rose said. “We lost a lot of guys to graduation but [the returners] are all sure players. They’ve all gotten playing time. They’re all big and strong, maybe a little bigger and stronger than last year. They’ve got a world of potential.”

The makeshift line and the pressure of being an every-down back don’t seem to overwhelm Palazzo, who right now seems thrilled just to be starting.

“I feel the same as the past two years, just go out there and do the best I can for my teammates and not let my teammates down,” Palazzo said.

At this point, Harvard’s counting on it.

TRAINING CAMP NOTES

Staying Put

After last year’s 9-0 campaign, Murphy was wooed by a number of college programs, including Navy and Delaware. On several occasions when he was reportedly being interviewed by potential employers, Murphy was compelled to reiterate publicly his desire to remain in Cambridge.

On Friday, Murphy seemed ready to put the subject to bed permanently.

“I really don’t want to get into that at this stage of the game other than to say I feel very fortunate to be at Harvard,” Murphy said. “When you have success, and especially if you’ve had experience in the profession and had success in other places, it’s only natural that it’s going to bring some type of interest from other people of a certain kind. And that’s not a reflection of me, necessarily, it’s a reflection of the players and coaches and the program.”

Murphy did say that that the interest had given him a greater appreciation of his current position.

“When you’re in that situation, which is rare, it really forces you to take a good look at where you are,” Murphy said. “The natural tendency for all of us is to think that the grass is always greener. When it’s hypothetical, it’s always greener. When you have to make a decision, you start to be very appreciative of what you have.”

Stoned

Harvard breezed through its preseason scrimmage against Stony Brook on Saturday.

Senior safety Niall Murphy returned an opening-drive fumble to score Harvard’s first touchdown, and Morris returned a punt for a score to open up a 20-point halftime lead.

Prior to the game, junior linebacker Dante Balestracci stressed the importance of the exhibition given the late start to the Ivy League season.

The Crimson has been practicing in pads for less than a week, and began its preseason over a week after college football games began in other conferences.

When Harvard plays Holy Cross two weeks from now, the Crusaders will have already played two games.

“We’re going to have our first opportunity in the scrimmage and we’re going to treat it like it’s our first game,” Balestracci said.

“When we play Holy Cross, we want to feel like we’ve already got one or two games under our belt just like they really have.”