Svicarovich agreed. "The friends I've made and the stuff I've learned, I'll never forget that. There are times when you just want to quit, when you're not playing. It says a lot about guys who stuck it out."

Natale, who picked Harvard over William and Mary, said football would provide his best memories.

"I'm gonna look back on football and the guys I've met," he said. "In my time here, the Harvard defense went from nothing to gaining national respect, and I'm glad I was a part of that."

"There's a better awareness on this team," Natale said. "We're getting back to like it was in 1997. There will be good teams ahead."

With one more week left on the season, these scholar-athletes played their final game at Soldiers Field against Penn last Saturday.

The defense came up big and held off the Quaker attack in the second half, only to fall once again on last-minute offensive heroics. In front of thousands of screaming fans celebrating Senior Day, Ben Green, Jeff Svicarovich and Aron Natale quietly finished their home careers.