Harvard's Marauding General

A coach's greatest luxury is the knowledge that a player will almost always get the job done.

Los Angeles Lakers' Coach Pat Riley knows that Michael Cooper can hold any player to a minimal offensive output.

St. Louis Cardinals' Manager Whitey Herzog knows that Ozzie Smith will play almost flawless defense at shortstop.

And Harvard football Coach Joe Restic knows that Captain and defensive end Kevin Dulsky will control the line of scrimmage.

"He will hold up the off-tackle position against any lineman in the league," Harvard defensive coordinator George Clemens says. "He's the best in the Ivy League at that, plus he's an outstanding pass rusher."

It's not just words.

Dulsky anchors the right side of a defensive line that has held opponents to an average of 88 rushing yards per game and 2.1 yards per rush.

On a team that has already set a school record for sacks with 38, Dulsky leads with 10, including three overpowering takedowns of University of Pennsylvania quarterbacks John Keller and Dave McNally last Saturday.

Dulsky's rise to such acclaimed status has paralleled his team's success. Over the past two years, it hasn't been easy for either Dulsky or the Crimson.

Dulsky is a two-year letter winnner, despite suffering through injury-plagued sophomore and junior campaigns.

"Last year was very disappointing and I never got a chance to play up to my level," Dulsky says. "It taught me a lot, though."

House-Quake

In the Crimson's first scrimmage in 1987, he strained knee ligaments, sidelining him until the team's third game. Dulsky responded with a strong, patient rehabilitation program.

"He handled the injury well," Clemens says. "He wasn't able to be a leader by his play on the field, like most captains can. By overcoming this, he is much stronger because of it."

Dulsky was surprised last year when he was selected by his teammates to be Harvard's 114th captain.

"I was excited," he says. "It was quite an honor because of the great tradition."

Dulsky is the first defensive end to be Harvard's captain since now-Dr. John Cramer led the Crimson gridders in 1969.

"He is the ideal leader, on and off the field," Clemens says. "He is great, absolutely great."

The Crimson now shares the Ivy League lead with Yale. With a Harvard victory in The Game Saturday, Dulsky can become the first player to captain the Crimson to an outright Ivy League title since Dan Jiggets '75.

He's not surprised that his team tops the league standings.

"I was actually hoping for better this year," Dulsky says. "I thought all along that we are a great team. It's just that nobody believed me."

Young, But Not Restless

Dulsky has a number of roles in Clemens' defensive scheme. Sometimes he must stay at home to cover the run and other times, he can concentrate on pressuring the quarterback.

"He has brute strength rarely found at this level of college football," 12th-year coach Clemens says. "He is an integral part of a group [defensive line] that, collectively, is the best unit I've seen here."

"I'm improving every week and just now, I feel like I've mastered playing defensive end," Dulsky says. "I'm an emotional player and the guys respond to that. There is a lot of emotion on this team, especially among the defensive players."

In 1987, Dulsky has proved that he is much more than a strong football player, but an effective leader as well.

"It's nice to know that the team looks to me in more ways than simply my on-the-field play," the 6-ft., 2-in., 220-lb. native of Woodland Hills, Ca. says. "I'm their marauding general."

This marauding general finally has everyone believing in the Crimson.