But before he had a chance to compete for the Crimson starting job, Hatch had to sit out a year, as per NCAA rules.
“Not having a chance to play and compete for a spot is tough, but I tried to keep it positive,” Hatch says. “It’s a really good group of guys, and I really enjoy being a part of that. And more than that, I ran the scout offense [last] fall, which is basically what younger guys do when they come into the program and might not be starting right away. I really felt like that was my opportunity to compete against our defense. It definitely made me better.”
Even entering the 2010 season, it was unclear that Hatch would ever have an offense to call his own, as incumbent senior Collier Winters—an All-Ivy pick in 2009—was favored to keep his spot.
Throughout preseason, Hatch and Winters stayed nose to nose in competition before an injury to Winters took the decision out of Murphy’s hands.
Finally under center for the Crimson, Hatch seems a perfect fit for the Harvard offense.
“Hatch has a really strong arm,” senior receiver Marco Iannuzzi says. “He can scramble one way and throw it right across the field. It’s rare to see a guy throw it across his body.”
Hatch’s deep ball will clear up room near the line of scrimmage for the Crimson’s running back trio of senior Gino Gordon and sophomores Treavor Scales and Rich Zajeski.
“[Hatch] will give us the opportunity to run the kind of offense we want to run,” Murphy says.
Athleticism, of course, can only take a quarterback and his team so far. The best quarterbacks are also known for their intelligence, work ethic, and maturity.
Luckily for Harvard, Murphy and Iannuzzi say Hatch possesses all three.
“He’s a very bright kid, and that carries over to football—and that’s not a given,” Murphy says. “He’s a very hard worker in terms of ‘Coach, what do I need to do to improve? Can I come look at more film? Can we find extra meeting time?’”
“He’s definitely a very mature player,” Iannuzzi adds. “He’s very focused. You don’t see him doing anything wrong off the field. He’s a 100-percent focused guy, a really good person. That carries on the field to him being a real leader. If players want to ground themselves, they can go talk to Hatch.”
As another player who has taken a long route to the Crimson, Iannuzzi knows the benefits of a long road to Cambridge.
“It makes him and makes myself realize how special this time is,” he says.
“I’m really excited to be out there and just play,” Hatch concurs.
Five years and two continents later, the quarterback has finally found his field: the one he wanted all along.
—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.