None in 2014. One in 2015, when Penn came into Harvard Stadium and ruined a perfect season with a 35-25 win. And then two in 2016, against Holy Cross and the Quakers.
Struggles have come in more mundane forms, too. Take the offseason routine of early-morning practices.
“It’s always tough in the winter,” Rich said. “It’s always tough when you’re working out at 5:30 in the morning. But that’s not really a low point; that’s when you’re grounding with your guys.”
Such strict discipline leads to attrition, as some players decide that other commitments matter more than football.
But for those who stick around, offseason exertion paves the way for in-season success.
And what success there has been. Heading into Saturday, the seniors have never lost to Yale. They have beaten every Ivy team home and away and completed an undefeated season in 2014 with ESPN’s College GameDay in the background.
“Going 10-0 was one of the greatest feelings,” Rich said. “Beating Yale here—nothing was better.”
Besides the between-the-lines success, the seniors have forged that insular bond that results from competition. To an outsider, the depth of that bond is, and perhaps should be, unknowable.
Looking back on his career, Firkser identified his favorite moments as occurring not in games but in film sessions—those unscripted meetings when coaches cede the floor.
“Players are teaching each other,” Firkser said. “It’s the guys coming together as a stronger unit.”
That teaching finds a final expression after the last practice, when the Crimson gathers for a team dinner. Per a tradition that Harvard coach Tim Murphy started, each senior has an opportunity to stand up and address his teammates about what the last four years have meant.
Save for the team itself, no one hears what seniors say during the speeches. But recognizing the emphasis that Murphy places on “character,” chances are that the players talk about more than wins and losses.
From the opening day of practice, Murphy promises that Harvard football imparts values that extend beyond the football field. If so, then the last team dinner is both the first and final test of that promise.
“Just being a tough, mentally strong individual—that’s something that’s going to transfer into the real world,” Brown said. “There are ups and downs in life, and how you respond to those things defines who you are.”
—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached atsam.danello@thecrimson.com.