Skelton Has Quietly Become 'Go-to' Man

In football, you always hear about the three "glory positions." Even at its most basic level, football needs a quarterback--someone to throw it--a running back--someone to run it--and a receiver--someone to catch it.

Someone who's been catching it quite a bit recently for the Harvard football team is junior wideout Colby Skelton.

Two weeks ago, in the win over Holy Cross, Skelton caught the game-winning touchdown pass, a 46-yard bomb from freshman quarterback Rich Linden. Last week, Skelton caught four passes for 65 yards.

It seems everywhere you look these days, the pigskin is landing in Skelton's palms in key situations.

"I like to be a guy that you can throw the ball to on third down when you need a first down," he says. "I'd like the ball in crucial situations. If you want to call it a go-to guy you can call it that, but I'd like to have the ball in those situations."

This, of course, is no new phenomenon. It is not as if coach Tim Murphy just discovered Colby Skelton a few weeks ago wandering around open on a third-and-eight.

Skelton has been rather quietly catching key passes for Harvard for each of the last three years. From a freshman campaign in which he played in all but one game to a season where he is the "go-to" guy, Skelton has remained one of the best and most consistent receivers in the Ivy League.

And if you look at where he comes from, that should come as no surprise.

Skelton grew up in the small town of Chelsea, Michigan, where everyone knows your name, everyone takes part in the pick-up football games, and everyone loves the Michigan Wolverines.

"We moved out to Michigan when I was three, and we lived ten minutes away from the University of Michigan," Skelton says. "My dad knows a lot of people in the Michigan organization, so for 17 years we've had season tickets. I grew up going to those games every Saturday, and it was unbelievable."

His father, Charles Skelton, was a starting quarterback at Muskingum College in Ohio, and is friendly with, among others, Michigan football guru Bo Schembechler. Charles Skelton had a major impact on young Colby's days in Chelsea, and remains so today.

"My dad has always has a tremendous influence on my life and on the decisions I've made, and I look up to him very much," he says. "He's the one who instilled the football mentality. He was a competitive guy, and he's always instilled that in us."

It is perhaps because of his father taking him and his brothers out to throw the football around that Colby is a receiver today. Playing catch with a former college quarterback is a pretty good way to develop good hand-eye coordination.

After a successful high school career at Chelsea High School in Michigan, Skelton had some tough decisions to make during the recruiting process. He was scouted by several Big Ten schools, including Michigan, Michigan State, and Northwestern.

The prospect of being a Wolverine was very attractive to Skelton, who not only grew up going to games, but went to Michigan's training camp every summer until high school.

"Obviously that was a dream, to go there, growing up and going to those games every weekend," he says. "But in the end they asked me to walk on, and I didn't want to do that. I knew academics were the most important to me, and what attracted me out here was the mix of academics and football."

Not only was it difficult for Skelton to turn down the glory of Big Ten football, but it was tough to leave home as well. Harvard Square is a long way from Chelsea, Michigan.

"In high school your family's there every night, and they're my strength, so freshman year was tough," Skelton says. "It was a tough transition being away from home. Football definitely helped, though. You come in in the summer and you already have a group of friends."

The positive side of Ivy League football is that for the four or five games Skelton's family is able to see during the year, they get to see him be one of the offensive foci.

Skelton wants the ball in his hands, and he usually gets it.

"I'm a very intense, guy," he says. "I'm perfectionist--I see things and I want them to be a certain way, and I work hard to get them that way. If they're not perfect, I'm disappointed in myself."

One of the things that has not gone his way is the fate of the Harvard football team. Skelton has yet to see a winning season, but he is hoping this year will be different.

What started off as same ole' same ole' has turned into a mini-winning streak, partly because of the play of Skelton. Still, he blames himself in part for the Crimson not being the very best Crimson it can be.

"I fully expected us to go 10-0 this season," he says. "I've been around for a few years so I kind of know how things go. That places me inevitably as a leader...I try to lead by example, but I'll be the first to get in someone's face."

If Harvard is going anywhere this season, it is going there partly on the back of Colby Skelton. The glory positions are such because they are essential to a team's performance.

"I was fortunate enough to have a stretch where I caught a lot of balls," he says. "They've been coming my way, and I hope they still come my way."

He's being modest.

Skelton had a choice between the Big Ten and the Ivy League, and he took the road less travelled.

For Harvard, that has made all the difference.