Harvard football senior captain Truman Jones – a native of Atlanta, Georgia and a Biomedical Engineering concentrator – sits down with GoCrimson.com to discuss serving Harvard as a captain, what The Game means to him, and his experience during his time in Cambridge.
What has it meant to be the 148th football captain?
To me, it's been an honor just to see the captains who came before me and how they led the team and how they've been such great guys and humble and leading in every element of their life. So, just being able to be here and a part of this team, I've really been able to serve as a leader of leaders and been able to lead guys who have been dominant and been successful in other spheres and now, we're all coming together, working towards a common goal, and just uniting a force that can't be stopped.
How would you describe The Game?
It's one of the biggest football experiences I've been a part of, just having that many people at the stadium, at a football game. It's truly exciting to have that much energy from the crowd and from people that you go to class with and see on a regular basis. This is what the rest of the campus knows is the biggest game of the year, but for us, it's the culmination of a lot of work being put in from spring and summer and then to now, fall. So, it's just a great celebration, it's almost like Thanksgiving, just everything is coming together and being put together to be seen.
What does it mean to have The Game back at Harvard Stadium?
It's the first time since '16, so it's something that I haven't participated in or witnessed. I think it's really a nice experience to see the stadium, a place that we practice in every day and work out in so much. To see it full and at its full capacity, I think it'll be exciting to see the faces and see people at Harvard's campus who typically don't come to football games. It gives us something to look forward to and is something new and exciting for this team.
What is the best part of a home football gameday?
I think the best part is just being able to sleep in my own bed and get a good meal on campus, as well as walking from campus over on the Cambridge side across the river, being able to see that transition and really lock in and focus on what my athletic responsibilities are and being able to focus my mind and recenter myself to do the job at hand.
How would you sum up your Harvard experience?
I think my Harvard experience has been great. I definitely came in realizing I had a lot to learn and soaked it up from guys that were around me. I came in as a linebacker originally, was kind of at the bottom of the depth chart, had a lot to learn just in terms of football and what it takes to be a collegiate football player. I learned from the guys ahead of me on how to work hard, how to take every rep seriously and give 110 percent, and try to apply that in various phases. So remember that next spring, then being able to take a step forward, lifting and taking a step forward physically, and then coming back in spring football and being able to apply what football knowledge I learned to defensive line and to defensive end. And that just grew me as a player and allowed me to play faster and understand what the defense is doing as a whole.
What has it meant to be a part of the Harvard Football program?
It's been it's been a tremendous honor. They talk about 10,000 Men of Harvard. It's something that is very real. And that connection, that brotherhood is truly special in that you could be anywhere in the country and see someone who was a member of the Harvard football team. That's an immediate point of connection. They're willing to help and reach out and assist with anything that you may need. So, just being a part of that and having that alumni network has been special as well as the guys on this team. It's a unique community in that guys are from everywhere. But we're all focused on this common goal, and we put our differences aside to work towards this and really motivate each other to be the best person that we can.
How has playing football at Harvard better prepared you for life?
It has definitely prepared me for hard work, for difficult times. The end goal or the outcome may not be directly in front of you and you're putting in work now for something that's further down the line. So, just thinking about the winter workouts and how hard it is to motivate yourself daily to prepare for a season that is six, nine months away. That really takes mental fortitude as well as just focusing on the immediate task in front of you. So, I think Harvard football has taught me a lot about hard work and how to prepare over a long time for a goal that you want to achieve.
What is your favorite Harvard memory?
My favorite Harvard memory is probably my first year playing Harvard-Yale at Fenway Park. I didn't play much that year, but happened to be a backup on special teams, so I had one or two reps and got to run down the field in front of a bunch of people and make a few plays. It was just really exciting and the beginning of my Harvard football career.
What advice would you give future Harvard Football players?
I would say for future Harvard football players, to really know yourself and come here willing to learn new things about yourself and try new things, as well as humble yourself, realizing that everyone is the best of the best before they come here, and everyone comes in on an even playing field having similar opportunities. You have to work your way up by proving your dedication, proving your dedication to the team, to the program, as well as to yourself, and getting better every day. And so, come in with that mentality that every day that you need to prove yourself and prove to yourself that you're worthy of being here. But trust in yourself, trust in your coaches that recruited you, and trust that you can step up to this next level of football.
