Steve Ernst

All year Steve Ernst has responded.

Despite being used at three different offensive backfield positions, as a punt returner and, occasionally, as a kickoff returner, Ernst has been a model of consistency. Not unusually fast or strong, he combines elements of speed and power in his running.

"Steven is totally consistent," Offensive Backfield Coach Larry Glueck says. "He's an excellent practice player; he gives 100 percent effort every time. You don't have to yell at Steven. In fact, sometimes when he's carrying the ball, he keeps running and you have to yell, 'Come back!' He never takes the easy way out."

Following in the footsteps of his brother Mike, Steve Ernst went from Clinton High School in central Massaschusetts to play for the Crimson. As Honorable Mention All-American football player in high school, Ernst was heavily recruited by schools all over New England and in the Ivy League. "I liked the idea of the opportunity to play with my brother again," says Ernst.

Wingback

In his freshman and sophomore campaigns the younger Ernst was used as a tailback. His junior year he started the season as a reserve wingback. (Wingbacks in Coach Joe Restic's Multi flex offense are used primarily as receivers and blockers.) After losing to Dartmouth in its fourth game last season, the Crimson inserted Ernst into the starting lineup in the tailback position.

Steve Ernst responded. He gained 60 yards in his debt and helped the team to a 27-15 victory over Princeton. By the end of the year, Ernst had gained 152 yards rushing and scored a touchdown against Yale.

After Jim Garvey graduated last June, returned to the wingback position. "Multiflex is such a wide type that I kind of enjoy all of the [positions]," says Ernst. "I enjoyed wingback and knew that with Mark Vignali and Robert Santiago it would be a big year."

Bright Spot

In the first four games of the season Ernst ran for 155 yards and, more important, cleared the way for tailback Vignali, who gained 406 yards in the same stretch. Injuries forced Ernst to move back to tailback against Dartmouth in the fifth game this fall.

Again, Steve Ernst responded. He gained 102 yards on 21 carries and was the Crimson's only bright spot on an otherwise bleak day. With fullback Santiago hurt, Ernst made his final shift. He became, for the first time since high school, a fullback.

"Steven fit the mold in all categories; that's a rare back," says Glueck. Harvard, after the loss against Dartmouth, needed to beat Princeton at the Stadium to stay in contention for the Ivy title.

Steve Ernst responded. Against the Tigers, Ernst racked up 115 yards on 19 carries. Not bad for a first-game fullback. "Ever since Princeton, you can't discount the combination of Steven and Greg Gizzi," Glueck said at the time. "They have enabled us to be where we are today." And Steve Ernst's biggest moments were yet to come.

The following weekend against Brown both teams struggled offensively. Turnovers prevented either team from putting any points on the board in the half. In the third quarter the Bruins scored and led, 7-0. Harvard turned to its fullback.

And again, he resonded.

First a 63-yard run to the Bruin 19-yard-line. One Gizzi touchdown run later and the game was tied. After the Bruins kicked a field goal to go ahead, Ernst contributed three catches for 35 yards on Harvard's drive back down the field to retire the game at 10 apiece.

Brother is Watching

"My brother [Mike] is the backfield coach for the freshmen," says Ernst. "He's on the sideline during my games. He'll expect good plays and he'll see my mistakes. On the 63-yard sucker play I expected him to say 'Good run' after I finished. He told me that if I had zig-zagged at the end I could have avoided the last tackler and scored."

After Brown punted and Gizzi connected on a seven-yard pass, the Crimson again looked to its big play fullback.

"Greg Gizzi and Coach Restic decided on a bread-and-butter play during the timeout. I know we had to get just past midfield to get in range for Jim Villenueva.

"They [Restic and Gizzi] picked a screen pass, because Brown had been playing aggressive defense all day," Ernst recalls, "We ran it to the sideline and God, there was a huge hole. There were some good downfield blocks. I'm in range for Jim now and I think I'll get out of bounds. But then I cut in and backed out and scored."

Steve Ernst had 238 total yards that day. He ran for 101 yards on just 11 carries, caught eight passes for 137 yards and even returned a punt 10 yards. "Steven Ernst--big play, he's a winner," said Restic after the game.

After tying Holy Cross, the Crimson faced off against Penn in its biggest Ivy contest of the year. Although Ernst had gained only 57 yards running against the tough Crusader defense, in the must-win game against the Quakers the call again went out to the fullback.

Hello? Hello? Anyone responding?

Ernst merely responded with 115 yards rushing, his fourth 100-yard-plus effort, caught four passes for 44 yards and run back two punts for 14 yards. He was chosen by the New England Football Writers Association as the Gold Helmet Award winner for the week. More important, he helped the Crimson to a 28-0 victory.

Going into The Game, Ernst is eleventh among Harvard's all-time single-season pushing leaders with 648 yards. A 105-yard performance on Saturday would propel him into fourth place. Not bad for a player who gained only 158 yards in his first four games.

His rushing style is workmanlike. "He runs North-South," says Gluck, "By that I mean he runs straight for the end zone and that's the quickest way to goal line. That's why he'll carry the bull."

"I'm not a break way runner and I'm not a power runner,' says Ernst. He says that his brother describes him as versatile.

"Mike makes me improve my play," adds Ernst. "It is weird; we have played together so long, and we're not anymore. Now, he's like a personal coach, because he watches me so much."

"I haven't had a back who has combined so much," says Glueck. "We're blessed to have him...He's going to do something outstanding on Saturday.

As for his future, the economics major said, "Right now I'm just looking at the Yale game. It's the last game of my career and it's for a championship. The Yale game is the Yale game. The 100th anniversary is just frosting on the cake.

"I was getting treatment on my thigh from Jack Fadden, who is an 84-year-old trainer...He was telling me a story, he's got lots of stories, about the 1933 Harvard team. I asked him how good they were. He said, "I don't know, but they beat Yale.'"

And the Crimson can count on Ernst to help do the same 50 years later.

By responding.