The Other Half: Linebacker Everett Has Blossomed

He’s an integral part of the best linebacker duo in the Ivy League. His ball-hawking tactics have resulted in four turnovers this year, and his bone-crunching hits make opposing quarterbacks wish they never got out of bed.

Who is this force in the middle of the Harvard football team’s defense? Junior Bobby Everett, of course.

Surprised? Don’t be.

While his partner in crime, captain linebacker Dante Balestracci, gets much of the publicity, Everett has done more than enough to distinguish himself among the league’s most productive defensive players.

In what has turned into a nightmare second half of the season for the Crimson, Everett has been one of the few bright spots. He has emerged as a leader in almost every defensive category for Harvard. He leads the team in unassisted tackles with 43, is second on the team in tackles for a loss with 11.5 and is third on the team in sacks with six.

“We expected Bobby to be a starter,” coach Tim Murphy says. “But what he’s contributed is unexpected. He’s probably the most improved player on the team.”

As a sophomore, Everett backed up John Perry ’03 and rarely had extended stints on the field. In limited action, he recorded 10 tackles on the year.

But in offseason conditioning workouts, he had the team’s fastest time in the pro agility test—a feat usually reserved for a running back or wide receiver. His show of raw ability and athleticism gave the coaching staff the confidence to pencil him in as the starting strong-side linebacker at the beginning of the year.

Everett believes a large part of his success this year is due to the simple fact that he’s finally getting an opportunity.

“Getting a chance and becoming more comfortable with the position helps a lot,” he says. “You don’t really get the hang of it until you get the chance to play.”

It’s not only that Everett is playing so well. It’s that he’s playing so well with games on the line.

In the game against Lafayette on Oct. 18, Everett picked off a pass at the Crimson goal line late in the fourth quarter, preventing what would have been a game-tying touchdown. A week later in a 43-40 overtime win over Princeton, Everett had his best game of his career. He recorded 15 tackles, including a crucial stop of Tigers’ running back Jon Veach in the extra period.

This clutch play prompted Murphy to call him “the second best linebacker in the Ivy League.”

The best one stands right next to Everett on Saturday afternoons. Balestracci, who is about to become the first player in Ivy League history to earn First Team All-League honors for four years, actually played a part in getting Everett to go to Harvard in the first place.

“He was actually my recruit,” Balestracci says. “I hosted him when he came [on a recruiting visit]. He’s a great kid. He’s a tremendous athlete.”

As a three-sport star at Saline High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., Everett attracted recruiters who marveled at his athleticism. Originally, though, Harvard was not in his plans.

“I was brought up watching Michigan games with my Dad,” Everett says. “But as I got older I got a little more realistic.”

When his expectations fell more in line with the level of play at an Ivy school, Harvard became a perfect fit.

“They recruit a lot of guys for speed,” Everett says. “They wanted me for my speed and hoped that I’d put on a little weight.”

As a freshman and sophomore, Everett stood on the sidelines and marveled at Balestracci’s skill. This year, playing with the Crimson captain has given him an up close view of one of the best players in Harvard football history.

“He’s certainly the best player I’ve played with ever,” Everett says. “And so I think I’ve learned a lot just by observing him.”

With Balestracci playing his last game with the Crimson this Saturday at Yale, Everett will soon become the leader of the linebacker corps. With that role, he will be counted on to carry an even bigger load than he has already.

“I’ve made some big strides this year,” Everett says. “But you’ve got to keep going and get better.”

Judging from his improvement from a year ago, Harvard should have no worries that Everett will be able to do just that.