CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Eight alumni of the Harvard football team made active 53-man National Football League rosters and several other Crimson alumni served in key roles in front offices of franchises this season.
The eight former Crimson on active 53-man rosters at one point during the season represented the most of any Football Championship Subdivision program in the country. Harvard also led way for all Ivy League schools.
Cameron Brate '14 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Nick Easton '15 (New Orleans Saints), Anthony Firkser '17 (Tennessee Titans), Ryan Fitzpatrick '05 (Miami Dolphins), Kyle Juszczyk '13 (San Francisco 49rs), Tyler Ott '14 (Seattle Seahawks), Adam Redmond '16 (Dallas Cowboys) and Cole Toner '16 earned spots on the 53-man rosters of their respective franchises.
Juszczyk and Ott were recently named Pro Bowl starters, with Ott making his first appearance and Juszczyk receiving his fifth-straight selection to the NFL All-Star Team.
Four of these alumni are headed to the postseason. Easton and the New Orleans Saints won the NFC South, and Anthony Firkser and the Tennessee Titans claimed the AFC South. Ott and the Seattle Seahawks captured the NFC West, while Brate and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a wild card spot.
In addition, several Harvard alumni served in key roles in front offices of NFL franchises.
Andrew Berry '09, the Executive Vice President, Football Operations & General Manager of the Cleveland Browns, is one of several alumni who helped the franchise reach the postseason for the first time since 2002. Joining Berry on the Browns are Paul DePodesta '95, the Chief Strategy Officer, Tyler Hamblin '15, the Football Operations Coordinator, Colton Chapple '13, a Scout and Seitu Smith '15, an Offensive Quality Control Assistant Coach.
Kyle O'Brien '02 serves as Vice President of Player Personnel for the Detroit Lions. Rob Rogers '93 is the Senior Vice President of Football Administration for the Washington Football Team. Washington also earned a postseason berth after winning the NFC East. Josh Lucas '02 works as the Director of Player Personnel for the Chicago Bears, who are also headed to the playoffs
Cameron Brate '14
6-5 | 245 | TE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cameron Brate, a native of Naperville, Illinois, is in his seventh season in the NFL and has spent at least part of each of those seasons with the Buccaneers. He played in all 16 games for the fourth-straight year and made two touchdown catches, giving him 29 for his career. He finished with 28 receptions for 282 yards overall, as he has amassed 223 catches and 2,438 yards over the course of his career.
Nick Easton '15
6-3 | 303 | C
New Orleans Saints
A product of Lenoir, North Carolina, Nick Easton is in his second year with the Saints and his sixth overall in the NFL. He has played in 45 games over the course of his career, including 12 this season.
Anthony Firkser '17
6-2 | 246 | TE
Tennessee Titans
Firkser, who hails from Manalapan, New Jersey, played all 16 games and made a career-high 39 catches for 387 yards and one TD in his third season as a member of the Tennessee Titans. A four-year NFL veteran, Firkser has 816 receiving yards in his career.
Ryan Fitzpatrick '05
6-2 | 228 | QB
Miami Dolphins
The longest tenured Harvard alumnus in the NFL, Ryan Fitzpatrick, a native of Gilbert, Arizona, concluded his 16th season in the league. He has played for eight teams over that span and is the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins for the second year. He will also serve as a team captain. The former Crimson quarterback is the only player in NFL history to have thrown a touchdown pass for eight different teams. Furthermore, Fitzpatrick became the first player in NFL history to throw for 400 or more yards in three-straight games in 2018. Fitzpatrick has played in 165 games since 2005, starting 146 and has thrown 223 touchdowns and nearly 35,000 yards. His 34,977 career yards ranks 30th all-time in NFL history, while his 223 passing TDs is 35th. This year, Fitzpatrick appeared in nine games, starting seven, and tossed 13 touchdowns and 2,901 yards.
Kyle Juszczyk '13
6-1 | 240 | FB
San Francisco 49ers
A Pro Bowl selection in each of the last five seasons, Kyle Juszczyk, who originally hailed from Medina, Ohio, concluded his fifth season as the fullback for the San Francisco 49ers. An eight-year NFL veteran, he has played in 122 games and started 83 over the course of his career. He set a new career-high with six touchdowns (four receiving and two passing) and now has 15 TDs in his career. He has also amassed 199 catches for 1,849 yards over his eight seasons in the NFL.
Tyler Ott '14
6-3 | 253 | LS
Seattle Seahawks
A seven-year veteran, Tyler Ott is in his fifth season as the long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he has played in all 16 games in each of the last four seasons and earned his first-career Pro Bowl selection this year.
Adam Redmond '17
6-6 | 300 | C
Dallas Cowboys
Redmond, who hails from Strongsville, Ohio, was elevated to the active roster on Oct. 24 and appeared in four games. A five-year NFL veteran, he has now played in 14 games over the course of his career.
Cole Toner '16
6-6 | 310 | C
Los Angeles Chargers
Toner, a product of Greenville, Indiana, made the active roster in October and played in 10 games, starting three. A five-year NFL veteran, he completed his fourth with the Chargers and has played in 13 games over the course of his career.
