Rookie Emerges Out of Nowhere

“How good is he really?”

This question, regarding freshman running back Zach Boden, ran through Harvard coach Tim Murphy’s mind before the start of the football season.  Now, the answer seems obvious: he is good—really good.

Coming from the Lovett School, a small independent institution in Atlanta, Ga., it was tough for the Crimson coaching staff to judge Boden’s true potential. Although the coaches had witnessed his talent on film, they couldn’t have predicted the success he’s had thus far.

“We knew he was fast and elusive, but we didn’t know how instinctive he was and how tough he was, both mentally and physically,” Murphy noted. “We have gotten more out of him than we could have expected [from] a freshman.”

Although the Harvard coaches might have been uncertain about the running back’s role on the 2011 team, Boden’s goals were always clear: he wanted to show what he could do out on the field.

“Going into the season, I was expecting to compete for the starting job,” Boden said. “I was never expecting to be low on the depth chart.  I’m a competitor. I want to play.”

In a preseason scrimmage, Boden’s strong performance allowed him to achieve his goal of earning significant playing time for the Crimson.

“The moment that really stands out in my mind is our scrimmage against Dartmouth,” Boden recalled. “I had a pretty good game and did some good things. Afterwards, the coaches asked if I would contribute to varsity.”

Regardless of Boden’s ability and preparation, the adjustment to college play is a hard one for any player to make.

“No matter how hard Zach worked, I’m not sure that anybody is prepared to make that transition easily,” said Lovett School coach Mike Muschamp. “The athleticism on the next level is greater, and the physical demands placed on your body are going to be greater as a result.”

Though Boden was accustomed to playing high-level football in Georgia, he says the detail of the college game has been the biggest change.

“The hardest transition from high school to college for me was learning the playbook and verbiage,” Boden explained.

Boden attributes much of his successful adjustment to the guidance and mentorship of the offensive linemen.  Junior running backs Treavor Scales and Rich Zajeski have been particularly helpful in showing Boden the ropes and passing along their veteran wisdom.

In addition, Boden relied on the network of fellow freshmen on the varsity team to transition successfully.

“Especially at the beginning, when we were all kind of uncomfortable, it was great having other freshmen on the team for support,” Boden said.

As he adapts to college play, Boden has been focusing on the continued evolution of his identity as a running back.

“I have been trying to be more elusive and not take as many hits,” Boden said. “I don’t like getting hit. I’m not a power running back. I try to make people miss rather than running into them. I’m working on seeing the holes and bursting through.”

Boden has done just that on a number of occasions this season.

The running back has twice been named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week and has rushed for 464 yards and five touchdowns this year.

In Harvard’s game against Lafayette early in the season, he scored his first career touchdown with a 43-yard run and finished with 72 total yards. Last weekend against Penn, Boden scored a touchdown and rushed for 81 yards to help the Crimson win both the matchup and secure the Ivy League title.

It goes without saying that Boden has found and cemented his role on the Harvard team.

“Zach’s biggest strength is probably the fact that it is so hard to tackle him,” said fellow freshman and offensive tackle Will Whitman.  “He is so strong and so hard to bring down. It has really helped our team because even if we don’t have a perfect block, and we just get somebody on the person trying to tackle him, he can break through.”

Even as a young member of the football team, Boden strives to motivate and energize the members of the offense.

“I try to give the offense a spark,” Boden said. “When things are moving slowly, I try to make something happen and just help the team out in whatever way I can. I try to make a big play or get a first down, or break the game open with a big run. When we become kind of stagnant in the mid-second quarter I try to just pick it up and tell everybody ‘let’s go.’”

Murphy says that the next step for Boden will be to become stronger and more physical. His high school coach has no doubt the running back will be able to achieve all his goals.

“The great thing about Zach is that he was blessed with an awful lot of natural ability,” Muschamp said. “But he is one of those kids who still works extremely hard to be the best he can be.  He is very comfortable in his own skin, and he is his own person. He has always been that way.”