Strengthening the Defensive Line

Since the victory celebrations against Yale nine months ago, it has been a difficult season for the Harvard varsity football team, a season that has seen two players dismissed and three suspended.

The most recent incident occurred last week, when senior Keegan R. Toci ’07 was dismissed indefinitely for insulting the team by reading aloud 20 reasons why Harvard football would not rise to Division I-A.

The other infractions are not about team disrespect. In fact, they are quite unrelated. In late April, seniors Dan Lane ’07 and James R. Velissaris ’07 were suspended after the two were involved in an off-the-field altercation with a shuttle driver. In June, Coach Tim L. Murphy dismissed then-Captain Matt C. Thomas, who faces charges of assault and battery against an ex-girlfriend. In August, Murphy suspended quarterback Liam O’Hagan ’08 for five games for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

It is difficult to extrapolate any simple lesson from these disparate incidents. There seems to be little problem with the broader athletic culture at Harvard; these incidents are confined to the football team. It is even difficult to say whether Coach Murphy is to blame; he has issued penalties and has encouraged all of his players to get involved in community outreach, which he said he plans to formally implement into the Harvard program. And of course, Harvard football has historically been more disciplined than other varsity football programs across the country. Indeed, one could conclude that it’s simply been an unusually unlucky season.

But the fact remains that all these incidents occurred within the Harvard varsity football team, and in a span of five months. There is a real problem here beyond simple coincidence, and it is fair to ask whether the punishments are strong enough to deter future infractions. Coach Murphy has responded to all six incidents with either suspensions or dismissals, yet the team’s ongoing woes suggest that these deterrents aren’t effective enough.

Another question these incidents raise is that of team culture. After Toci’s speech, an as-yet unnamed player performed a skit suggesting that running back Clifton G. Dawson ’07 had performed oral sex on Murphy. At a time when our football team has come under such close scrutiny, players need to exhibit better judgment.

Our players are, in many ways, the public face of our University. For this reason, their misdemeanors hurt more than their team; they put a blemish on the reputation of the University too. It is always difficult for outsiders to propose a course of change for insular institutions such as sports teams. But it is clear that the status quo cannot continue.