A ROLE TO PLAY
Dawson is, in many ways, the player that Carrington once hoped he could be, shattering the single-season touchdown mark in only seven games this season.
But Carrington has never complained about his situation. In fact, Dawson credits Carrington with helping him the same way Palazzo and other older players helped Carrington when he was a freshman.
“During my first season, Nick definitely aided my transition and integration into the program,” Dawson says. “He was always there to answer any questions I had about the offense. As a freshman, it was very comforting to have an upperclassman like Nick around to make things easier.”
And the coaches obviously felt strongly enough about his ability as a running back to not switch Carrington to a position in the defensive backfield, a change they have not hesitated to make for many former star high school running backs, including two All-Ivy players—safety Chris Raftery ’04 and cornerback Benny Butler ’04.
“Switching to defense was never really an option,” Carrington says. “The coaches always felt I was a good back, a reliable back, and that’s why I’ve always stayed at running back.”
That’s just what Carrington has been for the Crimson this year—a reliable change of pace from Dawson to help the Crimson offense run out the clock on opposing defenses. This season he has gained 147 yards on 39 carries for a solid 3.5 yards-per-carry average. In addition, many of the times that Carrington has been given the ball has been behind a second-string offensive line, without the threat of the passing game to keep defenses honest. What he can do playing behind the first-team Crimson offense for a full four quarters remains to be seen.
While no one on the Harvard football team is looking forward to playing without Dawson, for Carrington, the chance to start for a team that he has so long helped only in garbage time or when Dawson needed a breather will be extra special.
“Being able to contribute and help finish off my senior season right would mean everything,” Carrington says. “Of course I never want anyone to get hurt, and if Clifton is able to come back I will be happy to be the backup and help out however I can, but I’d love to help my teammates go for another title.”
If Carrington is able to help his teammates defeat Columbia, and possibly Penn and Yale, Harvard will have only its second sole Ivy League championship during Murphy’s ten-year tenure. And despite the disappointment of not starting more, or not making his own dent in the record books, who could really be upset at book-ending his career with Ivy League championships?
—Staff writer Robert C. Boutwell can be reached at boutwel@fas.harvard.edu.