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Another week, another touchdown -- or two (or three)
November/December 2007
by Robert Barton '57
As Yale's football team swept into October undefeated, Mike McLeod, a
junior running back from New Britain, Connecticut, was waging a massive assault
on the record book.
In a 38-17 victory over Holy Cross on September 29, McLeod (say
it muh-CLOUD) broke several modern Yale marks: rushing yardage in a game (set
by Robert Carr '05 in 2002), touchdowns in a career (John Pagliaro '78, 1975-77),
consecutive games scoring touchdowns (Calvin Hill '69, 1967-68), and
points in a career (kicker Mike Murawczyk '01, 1997-2000). McLeod's five
touchdowns against Holy Cross matched a modern one-game record set by Joe
Crowley '33 in 1931.
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"Mike's a team player and a great human being."
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McLeod, a political science major who hopes to work on Wall Street
post-graduation, was named most valuable player when Yale won an Ivy League
co-championship in 2006. He topped several records that year too: touchdowns in
a season (set by Pagliaro in 1976), carries in a season (Rich Diana '82, '87MD,
in 1981), and the school mark for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (Dick
Jauron '73 in 1970).
The publicity given his records seems not to have fazed McLeod or the
team. "There's no jealousy," says tight end Langston Johnson '08, part of
McLeod's blocking convoy. Nor should there be. In the second half of Yale's 50-10
rout of Dartmouth, McLeod carried to the Big Green's 1-yard line, then
conferred briefly with quarterback Matt Polhemus '08. When the huddle broke,
McLeod switched places with senior fullback Joe Fuccillo, normally a blocker,
who slammed across for his first career touchdown.
"Mike's a team player and
a great human being," says Larry Ciotti, Yale's backfield coach.
McLeod acknowledges the help of teammates, including Polhemus, whose
mobility can turn busted plays into gains. "Matt keeps the defense on its toes,"
McLeod says. They "don't know what he's going to do, so they have to keep some
people back to defend against him."
Even so, much of McLeod's success is his own doing.
"He works extremely hard in the weight room," says head coach Jack
Siedlecki. "He's built himself up from 185 pounds to 205 and lifts more,
compared with his weight, than anyone on our team. He has great leg strength,"
which is "one reason he's a great short-yardage back."
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"The longer he's in the game, the stronger he gets."
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Says former head coach Carm Cozza, now a Yale broadcast analyst: "Excellent
eyesight, excellent strength, excellent hands. What I really like is that the
longer he's in the game, the stronger he gets."
Is McLeod perfect? No. Against Columbia last year, with a clear path
ahead, he somersaulted into the end zone, landing on his feet. That neat bit of
gymnastics cost Yale a 15-yard penalty for showboating.
Says Siedlecki: "I went over to him, put an arm around him and said, 'Great
touchdown. And don't ever do that again.'"
From here on, McLeod won't need theatrics to be the center of
attention. He's on pace to surpass Robert Carr's Yale career record for rushing
(3,393 yards, 2001-04) and may even approach the ancient touchdown total
of Thomas "Bum" McClung, Class of 1892, who is credited with 63 in his Yale
career (1888-91).
Matching that would assure McLeod -- born in New Britain, 32 miles
from the Bowl -- a place among Yale football legends. And why not? New
Britain was the birthplace of Yale's original football legend, Walter Camp,
Class of 1880, the man who wrote Yale's original record book and football's
rule book.  |
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