There’s his penchant for leading historic comebacks, like he did as a freshman against Dartmouth in the first start of his career when he reversed a 21-0 halftime deficit. Fitzpatrick repeated that feat against Brown earlier this season, when he helped Harvard rebound from a similar three-touchdown hole to keep the Crimson’s undefeated Ivy campaign on track. He holds the school record for single-game total offense and has the second-most career passing yards in Harvard history.
But the scouts aren’t really focusing on things like that.
They’re looking instead at fundamentals like smarts, mobility and strength—all attributes that Fitzpatrick believes he has.
“I think that intelligence is probably one of the biggest ones, as far as coming from a school like Harvard,” he admits. “Other than that, mobility, escapability, agility, those kinds of things I think I’ve showed since I’ve been here. And that’s something that’s becoming more of a focus for quarterbacks in the NFL these days.
“One of my other strengths would probably be arm strength,” he adds. “I’m not gonna throw a Ryan Leaf bullet, but I’ve got a good enough arm, where I think it’ll turn some heads and keep them interested.”
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They’re interested now, certainly. Those scouts from the 49ers, the Giants and the Vikings aren’t trekking out to Cambridge for the pleasant weather. But it’s too early to see how it will all pan out—if Fitzpatrick will be a Jay Fiedler or a Gavin Hoffman.
And if Saturday against Yale is, somehow, the last time Fitzpatrick picks up a football in a game that matters, don’t think for a second that the kid who grew up going to every Arizona State home game will let football slip away that easily.
“I don’t see myself being able to stay away from football,” Fitzpatrick says. “If they’re not going to allow me to play the game anymore, then I’ll probably get involved some other way…Whether it’s me working and then down the line becoming a coach, or maybe getting involved in some sports management deal with an NFL team, any type of sport—basketball, football, anything.”
For now, though, the focus is on Yale, and on securing Harvard’s first 10-win season in over 100 years. Afterward, Fitzpatrick will finally turn his full attention to the agents ringing the phone off the hook. He’ll wait for the calls from the senior bowls that will give him national exposure.
And he’ll confirm for those ever-watchful scouts that coming to see him, week after week, was well worth their time.
—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.