"Football is like a religion down there," Wilkinson says. "They even have stadiums for little league games."
While his 6-ft., 2-in., 205-lb. frame is ideal for a linebacker, Wilkinson didn't always Lover behind the big boys on the defensive line. In fact, Wilkinson once slugged it out in the trenches himself.
"I used to be short and stocky," Wilkinson says. "So I played lineman."
Wilkinson leads the Harvard squad in tackles. But he doesn't see that accomplishment as anything special. Indeed, Wilkinson is extraordinarily modest about his role on the team, seeing himself as "just one of 115 guys."
But if Wilkinson doesn't recognize his importance, his teammates certainly do.
"I think he's done an excellent job," Dulsky says. "He keeps control of his own emotions and keeps everyone else emotionally up."
Before the season started, many gridiron pundits predicted Harvard would finish third or fourth in the Ivy League. But Wilkinson saw something in the team that others didn't.
"Nobody knew what I knew," Wilkinson says. "Just seeing the guys and the look in their eyes--I knew we had a legitimate chance at the Ivy title."
To snag a share of its first Ancient Eight crown since 1983, Harvard must knock off Yale in The Game.
The 102nd meeting of the two ancient rivals has special meaning for Wilkinson.
Last year, the Crimson dropped a 30-27 decision to the Bulldogs in the Stadium.
While Wilkinson doesn't like to talk about revenge, he certainly remembers the disappointment of last season.
"I remember what it was like to stand on the sidelines with the clock ticking down to 0:00, knowing that you're losing," Wilkinson says. "And when I was lifting weights this summer and spring, I was thinking about that Yale game."
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday's contest, however, Wilkinson will end his career on a high note. After all, he is one of only 112 ever to be captain of the Harvard football team.
"It's been like a one year pageant for me," Wilkinson says.
A pageant that may end with an Ivy crowning.
Tomorrow: Yale's Captain