"It had to be very tough on him"

They're two quarterbacks whose styles are about as similar as grapefruits and pineapples.

Wilford has always been regarded as the one with the stronger arm. Give him time to stand in the pocket and find an open man downfield, his teammates thought, and Brad Wilford will put the ball where it needs to be. But for the past three years, those same teammates that praised his arm also questioned Wilford's brains. If Brad could only just display a head like Rich's, they used to say privately, he could challenge Linden for the starting job.

Linden, on the other hand, was always known as the one that could made huge plays happen. When the pocket broke down and there were no open receivers, Linden could scramble across the field and pick up a scrap of positive yardage. Sometimes he may have tried a little too hard--no one will ever forget his heartbreaking fumble that set Yale up for the game-winning field goal in The Game last year--but he was never faulted for his agility and athleticism.

It was Linden who became the first freshman to start at quarterback in the history of Harvard football. It was Linden who brought the team an undefeated season and an Ivy League title in 1997. And it was Linden who entered his senior season a mere 207 yards away from Harvard's career yardage record.

But last year's numbers were too much for Murphy to ignore. Linden threw eight interceptions and only three touchdowns while leading Harvard to a disappointing 4-6 (3-4 Ivy) finish. Wilford played well in spring ball, and finally displayed some of the focus and mental toughness that had set him apart from Linden all those years.

Murphy encouraged Wilford to challenge Linden, telling him privately that he had the tools to take the starting spot. And Linden was well aware that Brad was breathing down his neck for the job.

Neither quarterback says they were particularly surprised when Murphy called them into his office after the team's scrimmage against Southern Connecticut in late August. He broke the news to both quarterbacks at the same time. Linden took the news professionally, but he was clearly shaken.

"I certainly was disappointed," says Linden, "but I wasn't blown away."

It was not a surprising decision for anyone. Wilford, after all, had the hot hand. And the easiest way for Murphy to show the world that last year was a fluke would be to replace the struggling helmsman with the up-and-coming new face. Wilford, while obviously ecstatic at his opportunity to start, says he felt sorry for his good friend Linden.

"Rich is a very competitive guy. He was definitely upset," he says. "It had to be very tough on him."

"It's like living in a dream"

Unless something wild happens this week, Wilford will be the one to lead the charges against Yale the final game of his career this Saturday in New Haven. Linden will watch from the sidelines as he always does--helmet on his head, football tucked under his arm, and close to Murphy's side. With Harvard mathematically eliminated from the title hunt, it's probable that Rich Linden will graduate without any meaningful football memories from his senior year.

But don't think for a second that this man does not have a treasure-trove of memories from his first three years. He can recall every detail of his first start--replacing the injured Jay Snowden '96 against Holy Cross in 1996--even right down to the wind speed at Fitton Field.

"I've never felt more on top of the world than that weekend," he says with a wistful smile. He was an impressive 12-of-22 for 175 yards and two touchdowns that weekend, giving Harvard a tight 28-25 victory.

From there, his memories zoom forward to 1997--the undefeated season. Linden set the school record for total offense in a season with 2,308 yards. He notched five consecutive 200-yard games, including a career-high 272 yards against Holy Cross. The most memorable game of his career, he says, was the title-clinching victory against Penn.

"The game was highly touted as the two top teams in the league going head to head, and we just pounded them," he says. "The game was over midway through the third quarter." Harvard won that game, and clinched the title too, by a score of 33-0.