The old men of Dartmouth football circa 1991 had a reunion this weekend. I’d been trying to come up with some kind of original take on it, but, frankly, I’m drawing a blank.
The obvious stuff is that it was great to see everyone. I was but a sophomore on the team so I was surprised that I was remembered so well by everyone. I was actually a little embarrassed that I whiffed on some names- but I remembered all the faces. They hadn’t actually changed much in the nearly 20 years since we last gathered at our alma mater.
Perhaps the most noteworthy thing I can mention is that I learned how to win from these guys. I had played on high school teams that never amounted to much in the win-loss column. I had attained some individual honors- so I knew how to work hard and play hard. But I didn’t know what it took to win games and championships.
But the guys on that team knew. It’s more than just believing in yourself and your own abilities. It’s knowing that the other guys on the team will all get the job done as well- executing their part to help the team win. It’s being willing to stare adversity in the face and not blink. It’s understanding that not everything can go your way during the game- but persevering through it will inevitably win out. It’s also understanding that sometimes you just aren’t the best team on the field that day and you just have to buck up, take it and come back swinging the next week. I’m pretty sure we took all those things with us after it was done.
Anyway, a bunch of us got together one more time in the field house and remembered what we were and congratulated one another on what we’d become. So thanks to Mike for pulling it together, and to Sal, Mullie, Andy Mac, Todd, Al, Greg (both of you), Durk (Duke?), Steve, Chris, Cliffy, and Deke- great to see y’all again.
2 replies on “Dartmouth Football- 1991”
It was great to see you Gerry, and thanks for sharing your blog. It was terrific to see so many guys and hear about new families and new adventures. I look back at that season and that team and what strikes me is that we didn’t roll over every one in the league. Every game was a slugfest and we hung in there together. Hard to imagine a more useful lesson for young men going out into the world.
Hey Nick- thanks for stopping by. Yeah- I remember hanging in there through a lot of games. The best example being Harvard probably. That was a tie that felt more like a win, and there wasn’t anything easy about it.
Keep in touch.