Sports Spotlight: Spencer George `04

Heroes always seem to suddenly emerge from the woodwork and prove their worth in unexpected ways.

Examples of this phenomenon abound in our popular culture. A seemingly weaker David vanquished the intimidating Goliath. Town pansy George McFly summoned his inner strength to knock out reviled bully Biff. And most clearly, Clark Kent, the mild-mannered farmboy-turned-reporter, was Superman, hero to millions in Metropolis.

Spencer George, a similarly soft-spoken and diminutive freshman, has twice emerged as an unlikely hero for the men's soccer team this season.

The 5'9 forward scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute of the season opener to lift Harvard past West Virginia 1-0. And again, two weeks ago, George struck the game-winner in the 90th minute as the Crimson downed the Vermont Catamounts 1-0 on the road.

"He looks deceiving because he doesn't appear to be too fast or strong," said Harvard Coach John Kerr. "But he's a wonderful soccer player and makes all the right decisions on the field."

George, very humble in addition to being reserved, defers credit for his early season success to his teammates.

"Scoring the goals was an incredible feeling, but I was lucky Ryan Kelly and the other guys drew away defenders and left me open to score," George said. "I just tried to really prepare for the games because I was always told 'the harder you work the luckier you get.' "

George's clutch performances in both games hardly seem a product of luck. In fact, like Superman, Spencer George has heroism and tenacity in his blood.

George is the youngest of five brothers, all of whom played soccer, collectively attaining amazing accomplishments.

Most notably, his brothers Sam and Seth played for soccer powerhouse UCLA, both garnering first-team All-American status. Sam captained the 1990 NCAA championship team and Seth was the MVP of the 1998 championship game. Both are currently playing in Major League Soccer.

George, a California native, nearly went the route of his brothers to UCLA but ultimately decided on Harvard for its academics and the potential of playing for a renowned coach.

"Coach Kerr was such a nice guy and his reputation preceded him," George said. "And I figured [coming to Harvard] was the opportunity of a lifetime."

Unfortunately, the Clark Kent-Superman analogy isn't entirely accurate for young Spencer George. When asked about the existence of a "Lois Lane" in his life, George grinned.

"With soccer and school, I've been overwhelmed with everything," George said. "Let's just say I'm not 'aggressively pursuing' that right now."

Leaving the scoring for the soccer field for the time being, George is currently second on the team in points with five and is tied with Kelly for the most goals scored with two.

George's prolific production has impressed, among others, the captain and battle-tested veteran of the team, Kelly.

"Spencer is the most quiet kid on the team, but he's a silent killer," Kelly said. "He doesn't do anything flashy, but he gets the job done."

As the season wears on, the Crimson will continue to count on George getting the job done on the field with his characteristic calm and even demeanor. And, of course, the team wouldn't mind if every now and then George turns in another "super" performance.