This Game Means Everything to Saunders

History. Environmental studies.

Good choices for majors for John Saunders, Yale's 117th captain, as he prepares to live the tradition and study the turf in the 111th edition of the Harvard-Yale game. It is The Game with The Build-Up, the longest-running rivalry in the nation. But just what does it mean to those involved?

"It's pretty much everything," said Saunders, who will start at linebacker Saturday. "It's everything I ever wanted. If I have any regrets about football, I can get rid of them in this one last game.

"Just getting a chance to play in one is great, but this is my third," he added. "In the Yale Bowl--with all the tradition and history--it's means everything."

Saunders' experience makes him an authority on what this game means for both teams. Both he and Yale are looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance last year.

"This game definitely makes or breaks Yale's season, just as it probably makes or breaks Harvard's season," Saunders said. "If we win it, it allows us to forget a lot of things. It literally makes a bad season good. If we lose it, it could make a good season not so good."

For Sanders, the many similarities between the institutions intensify the rivalry.

"We're so alike as far as schools go, and we stick together in things, so there's an alliance between us," Saunders said. "This is exemplified by Coach [Carmen] Cozza and Coach [Joe] Restic. But when we face each other, we have a fierce rivalry--the fiercest."

Once The Game is over, however, Saunders predicts a change in the relationship between the two schools.

"Up until this point in the season, we say `We hate these guys,"' Saunders said. "Then we practice all week and play the 60 minutes. After that, we're the best of friends."

Saunders almost didn't have the opportunity to be captain and finish his career against Harvard. He had to overcome two potential career-ending injuries to go out against the Crimson.

First, after losing feeling in his arm after tackles last season, he went to the doctor in February. The doctor attributed the disorder to a congenital brain malformation, which was causing his skull to rub up against the base of his brain after contact. As a result, he underwent surgery to remove a part of the skull and first vertebrate.

"If it had been a year earlier, I would've said, `Yeah, I'm done--It's not worth it,"' he said. "But it was my last year and I was captain. When someone told me I couldn't play, it became a driving force."

Then, after recovering from surgery, his football career was put in jeopardy again this season by a torn anterior-cruciate ligament. Saunders' answer this time was not to seek remedial attention, but simply to play. He suited up the next week with a knee brace and continued to carry on.

"When I tore my ACL [anterior-cruciate ligament], people told me I shouldn't play, so I decided I'd do it," he said. "Things have turned out very well for me. It's been a great season."

Yet as significant as the game itself is for Saunders, the pre-game festivities have become just as important. They are an opportunity for the past, present and future to come together.

"My favorite part of the weekend, although I love playing in the game, is the day before, Friday," Saunders said. "You get to see the freshman and JV games, and then you get to see the old alumni pull in, wearing their blue and crimson. Once you're on the field, you don't really get a chance to see it, but that sort of spirit is what the tradition is all about."