Further than that, Holuba said Murphy reminds his players that they are not entitled to anything because they play football, just like he reminds them each week that they are not entitled to a win. You are not better than everyone else because you are on the football team, he says.

After instilling values in his players, Murphy lets them teach as well. He has set up a mentorship program to connect each freshman with an upperclassman from a similar place or who plays a similar position.

Holuba said his mentor was much more helpful than a University-assigned peer advisor, tutor, or other mentor. 

“Not in a disparaging way, but the general student body has no idea what Division I athletics requires as far as a time commitment,” he explained.

Jaron Wilson ’14 was Hayes’s mentor.

“We became best friends, and that friendship will last a lifetime,” Hayes said.

Of course, all of this infrastructure could exist without having 11 guys line up against 11 guys and hit each other each Saturday.

But Hayes says the sport teaches, too.

“The game of football is unlike any other game in life,” he said. “There are so many life lessons to be learned. You learn so much by being part of a special team, overcoming so much adversity, pushing yourself for your own good but also for your teammates, your coaches, everybody who has invested so much into you being successful. You learn so much through football that you can use throughout all life.”

Director of Athletics Bob Scalise sees other benefits.

“You have to know how to compete within a framework of rules and in a way that exhibits good sportsmanship,” he said. “You also have to learn how to deal with not winning all the time, what do you do all the time.”

THE GRADUATES

Months before Harvard’s commencement ceremonies, Crimson seniors go through a graduation ceremony in Murphy’s school.

It comes this week actually, after the team’s final practice before The Game. Seniors take a final walk around Harvard Stadium, speaking personally with each player—starting with the freshmen and ending with Murphy.

“He pauses and gives you some feedback one way or another where he found value for you in the program,” Riegel remembered. “That’s pretty inspiring stuff.”