Looking back on Chris Menick's Harvard career, you could accurately say that he rushed for more yards than anyone else in a Crimson jersey in a career.

You could also say that he has rushed for the most yards in a season or that he is the only Harvard player to rush for more than 200 yards in more than one game.

But Menick would like it more if you said that he played hard.

This Saturday, in the dying sun of a New Haven November afternoon, a career that has spanned 4 years, over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns--one shy of the school record--will come to a close as Menick suits up for the last time.

Even a major injury, a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL), sustained in last weekend's game against Penn won't keep Menick out of the game.

On Saturday, Menick went down with the injury in the third quarter after a run up the middle for a one-yard gain. He appeared along the sidelines on crutches later in the game.

It was a close call for the Crimson. Menick called the crutches, "only a precaution."

Originally diagnosed as a torn MCL, the injury was thought to be season-ending. Luckily, it was only a sprain and the Crimson breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Consequently, come this weekend, the Crimson's greatest running back of all time will once again rumble and bounce and break tackles and crush would-be defenders as he has done for the past four seasons.

But Menick's ultimate goal has always been to play hard.

"The only thing that matters when you play is personal pride and playing as hard as you possibly can," Menick said.

He combines exceptional balance and hard-nosed strength. He gains the tough, bone-crushing yards up the middle, powering his way through tacklers with his low center of gravity.

For a man with so many rushing talents, his philosophy is simple.

"I just try and run as hard as I can," Menick said. "I do whatever is the best way to gain yards. I always had good balance, even when I was a little kid, and my sister and I would fight with each other."

From sibling battles to Ivy League showdowns, Menick, a Port Chester, N.Y., native, has demonstrated his ability to step up and make the big plays. Along the way, the records have tumbled.