BETHLEHEM, Penn.—The saga of Cheng Ho follows an inconsistent yet captivating trajectory, repeatedly thrusting its protagonist into the spotlight only to plunge him back into obscurity. It is a story of adversity and Ho’s irrepressible determination to overcome it; a tale of hard work and hard luck that strikes a positive tone only because of the Harvard senior running back’s relentless optimism.

In the Crimson’s 28-14 win over Lehigh on Saturday, Ho emerged as the Crimson offense’s most effective weapon, working like a skilled veteran boxer to wear down his opponent. Rather than swinging wildly in hopes of landing a knockout blow, he executed short, swift strikes—five yards here, eight yards there—which accumulated and left the Mountain Hawks standing, but incapable of mounting any sort of counterattack in the contest’s waning stages.

By the time Ho left the field with cramps late in the third quarter, he had led Harvard to such a commanding advantage that, while he could have returned, it was unnecessary to push him much further and his action was limited for the rest of the game. But even in an abbreviated showing, his line was impressive—132 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries along with a 13-yard touchdown reception.

“We certainly rode him today—not just his productivity but his emotion,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “He gave us a lot of juice on offense, a lot of leadership.”

But Ho’s performance was just one high point in a complicated journey that has seen the tailback become one of the most recognizable athletes on campus but delve in and out of visibility on the field.

Its beginnings are well documented. Ho emerged on the college football scene in 2006, an unknown freshman somehow serving as the primary backup for the Crimson’s all-time rushing leader—Clifton Dawson ’07.

Media inquiries into the origins of Dawson’s heir apparent led to the discovery of his remarkable personal story. Following family tragedy, Ho came to the United States from Taiwan along with his sister at age 12 to live with his aunt and uncle in Georgia. He had never heard of football and didn’t speak English, yet here he was just a few years later carrying the pigskin at Harvard.

The plot, worthy of an inspirational made-for-TV movie, seemed destined for a predictable ending—after overcoming obstacles, Ho goes on to a successful career as Harvard’s starting tailback, finishing in a blaze of glory in his senior year as he stomps all over Yale in The Game.

But things haven’t been that simple.

After a stellar sophomore campaign in which Ho filled the starter’s role admirably—running for 745 yards and scoring seven touchdowns—he lost most of his junior season to injuries.

This year, Murphy filled the top of his depth chart with more athletic options in junior Gino Gordon and freshman Treavor Scales, relegating Ho to the bench.

“There are a lot of different guys on the team this year, and obviously it’s frustrating not to be able to play,” Ho said.

But while frustration is an emotion Ho has become all too familiar with, apathy is not.

A 5’10, 190-pound spark plug, Ho radiates like an inextinguishable candle. He operates with the same level of energy whether he’s pacing the sidelines at one of his games or firing up the crowd at another team’s contest during the football offseason (Go to a Harvard basketball game—men’s or women’s—and you should be able to spot Ho within seconds, even if you’ve never seen him before).

But Ho’s intensity is most noticeable when he’s playing, and while he hasn’t had many opportunities to do so recently, he’s never gotten discouraged. When an injury sidelined Gordon and a family matter called Scales home before Saturday’s game, Ho was as ready as he’s ever been.

“Coach Murphy came up to me after the Brown game [last Friday night] and said ‘Hang in there, your time will come,’ and I really listened,” Ho said. “I knew the team needed me today...And I know this: There’s one shot and this might be my only shot, and I just knew I had to take advantage of it.”

Take advantage he did, and emphatically so. Not only did Ho give the Crimson the performance it needed from him, he also made a strong case to play a larger role in Harvard’s Ivy League title role this season. Who knows, maybe he’ll get that storybook ending after all.

—Staff writer Loren Amor can be reached at lamor@fas.harvard.edu.