Where Are They Now? Birk Nominated for Prestigious Honor While Knicks Recall Lin

As Baltimore Ravens kicker Bill Cundiff’s 32-yard field goal sailed wide left, many Cantabrigians celebrated.

But the New England Patriots’ win sent one former Harvard hero home, where he will decide whether the time has come to hang up the cleats.

Matt Birk ’98 led a Ravens offensive line to the AFC Championship Game Sunday in Foxboro to face Tom Brady and the Patriots. But after Brady’s one-yard run gave the Patriots the lead with over 11 minutes remaining, Birk and the Ravens offense couldn’t put together a scoring drive.

After Cundiff’s missed kick put an end to Birk’s 14th professional season, many have wondered if this is the end for the six-time Pro Bowler. While some reports indicated this would be the last go-around for Birk, the center himself recently denied those claims.

But while the loss will be tough to digest for Birk, this week has given the former Crimson standout some positive attention for his off-the-field achievements, as he was recently nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award, which recognizes a player’s commitment to community service and his football prowess, will be announced Feb. 4 at the same ceremony as the MVP award.

Birk was nominated for his work with the HIKE Foundation, which helps at-risk youth receive proper educational resources and attention.

His fellow nominees include San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman.

In Jeremy Lin ’10 news, the usual pattern has returned.

After being sent down to the NBA D-League by the New York Knicks, Lin played one game for the Erie Bayhawks and dominated, dropping 28 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing 11 rebounds on Jan. 20.

It didn’t take long for the guard to get recalled. Just three days after his dominant performance, the Knicks summoned Lin back to the Big Apple.