Jeremy Nixon Earns Whitecaps Roster Spot

Harvard students know that their school is off the Red Line.

But most do not know that Harvard has its own Red Line—the Ultimate Frisbee team on campus.

Last week junior Jeremy Nixon, a 6’ 2” cutter on Red Line, was recruited to play for the Boston Whitecaps, a Major League Ultimate team that won the national championship in 2013.

Nixon, who has only been playing Ultimate since his freshman fall, still has his senior year at Harvard to play for the Red Line, but can also compete in Whitecaps games.

“Obviously it feels great to be sought out by an organization that is extremely good and has some of the best players in the world on the team,” Nixon said. “Making this team really feels like being approved by the rest of the high level Ultimate community.”

Nixon credits much of his progress on the field to previous football and track experience he had in high school. Transitioning to Ultimate after being a state level hurdler and wide receiver allowed Nixon to focus on fundamentals such as throwing in order to become an elite Ultimate player.

“I have an athletic background that has helped me to play Ultimate at a high level,” Nixon said. “I really needed that background so I could focus on learning things like spacing on the field and tactical awareness of other players.”

The Whitecaps, after going 10-0 last season and bringing a championship back to Boston, will start their season on April 12 and play 10 games, with the season ending in June.

According to the Whitecaps website, Nixon is “A tall and fast cutter who uses his positioning and athleticism to challenge both the man he’s guarding and the player with the disc, the Whitecaps will use Nixon to shut down opposing cutters.”

The transition from the collegiate to professional level of competition will be a new experience for Nixon, but it is something that he is willing to take on as a welcome challenge.

“The speed of the game is pretty different,” Nixon said. “Every player is going to be playing at a faster speed than I’m used to. I will have to play with a mindset that everything is more intense.”

Although adjusting to the speed of the game and his new teammates will take time, Nixon is eager to be pushed to excel in a new Ultimate community. While Nixon still has a season and a half left at Harvard to play for the Red Line, he will now compete and help bring back victories for two Boston