Captain Chuck Durst

After the Crimson's 7-3 loss at Princeton earlier this season, the Harvard gridders trooped back to the visitors' locker room, dripping wet and miserable. The defeat set Harvard's Ivy record back to 2-2, and the injury-ridden squad had experienced the ultimate in frustration: dominating the Tigers all day but falling just short.

Crimson captain Chuck Durst felt the despair, too. The senior defensive tackle had turned in another stellar performance, but he saw early-season prospects evaporating into the gray New Jersey sky. The Harvard assemblage that had marched down to West Point and won the war sprinted out to a 4-0 start and guarded high hopes for an Ivy crown seemed all but eliminated.

Durst knew what he had to do. Normally reticent, he quietly approached the dejected Crimson gridders stripping off their soaking white jerseys. Don't worry about it, he said. Think about Brown. Don't look behind, look ahead.

An old story, one we've all heard before, about the captain inspiring his downtrodden teammates. But in it lies the Difference, the intangible that has made a talented football squad a winning squad.

Durst and his fellow seniors on the Crimson have witnessed inordinate adversity. The 1978 squad lost its four games by two, five, one and seven points, respectively. Last year's team suffered through what can only be described as a nightmare, as quarterback after quarterback fell prey to injury. This year, however, the Crimson has clamped down in the clutch, and Chuck Durst simply ascribes that success to "character." Coach Joe Restic ascribes that success to Chuck Durst.

Game in and game out, Harvard faithful have been treated to the by now familiar public address refrains. "Chuck Durst made the tackle" and "Chuck Durst on the stop." Slithering through opposing offensive lines with subtle elan, the seven tackles or so a game he has racked up belie his value. Coaches recognize his skill, and often key on him. Durst usually makes himself visible anyway, and the extra attention he receives often frees other defensive linemen.

"Chuck is just outstanding--he is consistent in his playing and has done a great job rallying our people," Restic says. Leader of a Crimson defense that has repeatedly come up with crucial plays, Durst brings a laid-back style to the position of captain. "I'm not the only leader on the team--we have broad leadership," number 72 says. Crimson players and coaches alike agree that this year's squad is as close as any during the Restic reign. As for the defense, Restic says, "It's as good a unit as I've had here."

The defensive line has applied the pressure that forces opponents into errors, and the linebackers and secondary have capitalized on the opportunities to make the big play, at times prompting the observation that Restic's much-heralded Multiflex offense had a secret and devastating weapon--the defense.

Flanked by Dave Otto and Justin Whittington at defensive end, Tim Palmer at tackle and noseguards Tony Finan and Scott Murrer, the mustachioed Durst has penetrated against every team the Crimson has faced. The entire defense has coalesced as a unit, playing its best with its backs against the wall. Thus far, the defense has preserved a 14-13 victory over Holy Cross, a 15-10 win over Army, and a breathtaking 17-16 triumph over Brown, by staving off late comeback efforts. In sum, the defense has permitted fewer than 13 points a game, many off offensive turnovers deep in Crimson territory.

Durst explains. "The thing is, we've been together for four years. You know what to expect from the guy next to you. We all know the system well, and we communicate well. It's the small things that make the difference." The Difference. Anyone associated with the Harvard football team will tell you that Chuck Durst composes a big part of that Difference. "You have everybody doing the job, instead of almost everybody. That's another part of the difference," Durst says.

Durst started playing football in the small town of Adrian, Mich., prime Wolverine and Midwest Conference territory. He originally played linebacker and offensive lineman, and he believes learning those positions had helped him play the defensive line. He understands the mentality of the blockers he squares off against every Saturday, and his linebacking duty taught him the fine art of defensive pursuit--which he will probably exhibit this afternoon, despite a nagging knee ailment.

He came to Harvard because, he explains, it offered the best academic opportunities and a football program which was "more or less what I wanted." He harbors no regrets. As captain, he says, "I concentrate on keeping up team spirit to breed a winning attitude--making sure we don't get down on ourselves, or each other." The only time this season Durst felt he had to "make a little bit more noise" was after the Princeton game, testimony to the unity this veteran squad possesses. He credits defenseive coordinator George Clemens, linebacker coach Alex Nahigian and secondary coach Leo Fanning with giving the defense the extra edge it has shown all year.

One minor problem Durst notes is the difficulty Harvard has peaking for each game. Because opponents always cruise for the Crimson, they tend to come into each contest electrically charged. "If we got completely psyched, and reached the highest mental point you could possibly reach for every game, it would take too much out of us," Durst says.

Against Yale, however, that should not prove a problem. Durst dismisses any speculation that the Bulldogs' revanchism from last year's 22-7 shellacking at the Bowl will give the Elis an edge. "We know Yale's coming down here with a revenge motive. We have a lot to get revenge for over the years. And we always play well against our rival."

Durst recalls the vivid joy of last year's upset. "Once you've tasted a little bit, it's awful tough not to want to taste it again. All I can remember is all of us saying, 'We can't wait till next year.' Next year is here, and it comes down to this for the title." Knowing Chuck Durst, that is the Difference.