Twenty years after graduation, the “Harvard” mystic continues. My Harvard athletic debut was hardly an auspicious one. After finding myself number eight on the freshman football quarterback depth chart, the first few weeks of college were filled with doubt and debate. Some sage advice from my father, family, and friends, not to mention a daily dose of Springsteen, built back the confidence and competitiveness needed to survive and succeed in Cambridge.

It is noteworthy that in my four-year baseball career, I never scored the winning run, nor had the game-winning hit. Likewise, although our “multi-flex” offense led the league two-straight years in total offense, I never caught the go-ahead touchdown, nor made the game-saving tackle.

My Harvard coaches and teammates made success on the football field and the baseball diamond possible. Coaches who were true teachers, who showed faith when others questioned, and who brought into focus what “playing the game” was all about. Teammates that were stars in their own right and truly share in this recognition. Their friendship in the classroom and on the field shaped my “Harvard” experience.

Athletics remain ageless, bridging generations through the human spirit to compete and succeed. At Harvard, athletics is about vision, values, and lessons learned for a lifetime. Lessons about people, integrity, respect, and responsibility. Certainly other athletes have learned similar lessons, but they are different. I, like so many outstanding men and women before me, have the distinction of being called a “Harvard Athlete.”