I got this feeling after the Princeton game because I was heavily recruited there and had a lot of contact with the coaches. During the recruiting process, you inevitably build up a relationship with coaches at these schools and it can be a very awkward process when you finally make your decision. I???ve heard other players compare it to breaking up with a girlfriend, and I would almost agree (at the risk of implying femininity in college football coaches). The further you get away from this recruiting process though, the more civil these relationships become. Now when I talk to coaches that recruited me, I feel like they sincerely are happy that I???m doing well at Harvard.

Another reason I felt this way on Saturday was that I lived with Princeton running back Rob Toresco this summer; the perfect example of the interconnectedness of the Ivy League! We both got this job through alums at our respective colleges and it ended up that we lived together, worked together and even trained together with the UCLA football team. The same kid whom I now talk to on the phone every Sunday to go over how our games went - I was now lining up directly across from and we were both coming for each other???s head.

I think the oddest part of the entire process of becoming friends with Rob was overcoming the generic ???Princeton football player??? I had imagined him to be. He had to overcome his preconceived notions of what a Harvard football player was like. I still don???t believe that our programs are exactly alike, but this summer did take steps towards humanizing this ???enemy??? that we had both imagined in our heads. I???m not saying that Ivy League football players necessarily walk around hating each, but there is a lot of pride associated with the sport and how much work we put into preparation for each game. This makes it understandable that, all respect aside (and there is plenty), two players from opposing schools might not hold each other in the highest regard.

When it???s all said and done, though, I don???t think those feeling affect one???s play to compete against someone you know - and if it does it would only be for the better. The two of you might ???jaw??? (a football term for talking trash) at each other a little more during the game, but never in any football player???s mind does he think, ???I probably should pull back a little bit if I get a chance to hit my buddy.???

Playing against someone you know might even make me play harder to rise to the challenge, but then again football players are always operating at full capacity on every play. Overall, it was a nice experience plying against Rob as well as the other Princeton players I met this summer, and it made our 27-10 win feel that much better.

As with this past summer, it is these same people that I???ll end up working with the rest of my life. Once I get out of school, I???m sure I???ll sit around with some of the same guys I???m lining up against today and laugh about what we thought of each other, but none of us are ready to exchange business cards quite yet.