CLEVELAND, Ohio - Harvard sophomore cornerback
Matthew Hanson highlights a list of nine Crimson football players
who are recognized in the 2009 Phil Steele's Football Preview
Magazine. Hanson was named to the All-America Second Team in the
publication while Harvard was ranked 23rd nationally.
Hanson, from Lafayette, Colo., joined what has been the nation's
top defensive backfield last season and dazzled as the Ivy's Rookie
of the Year. Hanson led Harvard with four interceptions and tied
for second on the team with 10 passes defended.
Hanson is the fourth different Harvard player to earn preseason
All-America honors this summer, being joined by two-time
All-American James Williams, wide receiver Matt Luft and cornerback
Derrick Barker.
Harvard has had at least one All-American in each of the last 10
years while posting the nation's best winning percentage this
decade.
The second year-man Hanson was one of six Crimson players named
to the preseason All-Ivy League first team by the publication.
Three more players were named to the second team as Harvard had the
most selections in the Ancient Eight.
Last season, all five of Harvard's offensive linemen earned
postseason honors and, despite graduating three All-Ivy Leaguers,
the unit appears to be strong this season as well with three
players earned preseason first team recognition. Williams was on
the list and is joined by center Alex Spisak and guard Brent
Osborne. Also named to the first team were Luft, who enters the
season with 115 career receptions, and safety Collin Zych, who
racked up 72 tackles last season with 48 solo efforts.
Named to the preseason second team were running back Gino
Gordon, punter Thomas Hull and place kicker Patrick Long.
Since 2000, Harvard owns a .775 winning percentage (69-20) -
second-highest in the Football Championship Subdivision and sixth
highest in all of Division I. Over the past five seasons, Harvard
is 41-9. Harvard is 36-6 at Harvard Stadium dating back to 2001
while winning 16 of its last 17 games there.
The Crimson has registered at least seven wins in each of the
last eight years, making Harvard the only team in the history of
Ivy League football to post such a string of successful seasons.
Two years ago, Harvard became the first Ivy team to post a string
of seven such seasons together. The current stretch is the
Crimson's best eight-year run since a 28-year streak of seven-plus
win seasons came to an end in 1911. The program has won 64 games
over the past eight seasons for the best stretch since a stretch
from 1908-1915 when the program also won 64 games.
Harvard opens its season Sept. 19 at Holy Cross against a
Crusaders' team that will already have two games under its belt.
Harvard's home opener comes the following Friday night, Sept. 25,
against Brown.
-Photo by Dave Silverman
