During the Sunday afternoon tilt between Jeremy Lin’s New York Knicks and the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, Spike Lee wore Lin’s Harvard No. 4 jersey in support of the team’s newest star. Lee wasn’t only repping Lin though when he donned the Crimson No. 4, he was also representing a number of other past and present Harvard athletes to do the number proud. Here are four Harvard athletes not named Lin to make a mark while wearing the number.
4. Brogan Berry ’12 – Women’s Basketball
Berry was the first Crimson player to start during her freshman year since 2001, and she quickly proved her worth by pulling down 10 rebounds in her debut, an impressive feat for a point guard. Since then, she has only stepped up her game. As a senior, Berry is currently sixth in Harvard history in points and third in program history in assists. Last weekend, she became the first Ivy League player to record 1,300 points and 500 assists in a career.
3. Andrew Berry ’09 – Football
The high school quarterback committed to playing cornerback full-time in Cambridge and was forced to play extensively his freshman year after a starter succumbed to injury. Berry would never cede the playing time, as he would earn All-Ivy League first team honors three years in a row during a successful collegiate career. Entering his senior season, the defensive back was a pre-season All-America pick, though his stats didn’t reflect it that fall because opponents simply avoided his side of the field.
2. Angela Ruggiero ’04 – Women’s Hockey
Before playing in more Team USA games than any other woman, Ruggiero tore it up at Harvard. The defenseman was a four-time First Team All-America selection as well as a four-time All-ECAC Hockey First Teamer. She was declared the league Player of the Year during her senior campaign and was named the ECAC tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She helped the Crimson win four Beanpot championships and was tournament MVP in 2004.
1. Bill Cleary ’56 – Men’s Hockey
Bill Cleary was associated with Harvard athletics for 60 years and is still one of the most decorated Crimson athletes. While he lettered in baseball as well, Cleary was best known for setting records on the ice. After the 1954-55 season, Cleary was an All-America selection. That year, he led the Crimson to a Beanpot title and set the record with seven goals during the tournament, including four in one period. That team would go on to make the Frozen Four. Cleary would go on to play on the 1956 Olympic team before leading the 1957 U.S. National Team in scoring and being named the MVP on the 1959 squad.
