Menick Leaves Rushing Records in His Tracks

Nobody wants to replace "The Man."

Nobody relishes standing in the shadow of a former great. Fans become accustomed to excellence at that position and demand it from whomever fills the role.

Too often this burden engulfs the player and afflicts his performance. Dave Brown floundered after succeeding Phil Simms as the New York Giants quarterback. Todd Collins is currently struggling to cement his starting job following Jim Kelly.

Even players with talent hear the boos until fans are persuaded otherwise. How long did the chant of "Donnie Baseball" ring in Tino Martinez's ears?

Entering the 1997 season, Harvard faced a similar predicament. The shadow of Eion Hu '97 loomed over the entire backfield. Hu is arguably the greatest running back in Harvard history. He set the school record for most career rushing yards with 3,073, most yards in a single season with 1,101 and most carries in a game with 40, set at last year's Harvard-Yale game. Furthermore, he always seemed to save his best games for Yale, gaining a total of 497 yards in his three games.

No one it seemed could fill his shoes. However one man took the challenge--Chris Menick.

Menick not only has filled Hu's shoes, but the sophomore standout has fashioned a pair of his own. He has burst onto the scene to become a driving force in the Crimson offense, racking up a total of 1,100 yards on the ground, just two shy of eclipsing Hu's record.

"I never really felt in Eion's shadow," Menick said. "I really respected Eion and he deserves all the praise he gets, but I don't try to compare myself to anyone."

The Crimson owes much of its success this year to his stalwart play. He needs one more touchdown to break a 13-all tie with Mike Giardi '94 for the team record. Furthermore, teams must respect his ability to break one, which makes sophomore Rich Linden's job at quarterback that much easier.

"We've featured a balanced attack," Menick said. "The defense hasn't been able to key on any one player and Linden has done a great job himself."

Nobody expected this season from Menick or anyone in particular. In fact, the starting position was vacant when the season opened. Junior Troy Jones, Sophomore Damon Jones and freshman Chuck Nwokocha all competed for carries.

Before the start of the season Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said, "We think we can replace [Hu] by committee, and hope that somebody steps up and becomes the go-to guy."

Menick though went out and proved to Murphy that he was ready to become the Crimson's next feature back.

"I never expected this success," Menick said. "Though confident in my abilities, I just wanted a chance to put my name on the map."

Menick saw limited action in Harvard's opening win against Columbia. However, he began to emerge in the following game, a 35-30 win against Lehigh. Though he still saw split duty with Troy Jones in particular, he ran the ball 15 times for 121 yards, highlighted by a 56-yard touchdown run.

During the Lehigh game, the Crimson suffered an apparently serious setback when Troy Jones injured his ankle. Murphy was forced to hand the ball off to Menick full-time and hope for the best. He never relinquished control.

Menick gained 74 yards and scored once in the Crimson's only losing effort of the year against a Bucknell team noted for its defense. As Menick racked up multiple hundred-yard games, Hu's shadow quickly faded away. The debate shifted from how much better Hu was than Menick to who was the better back.

"I basically try to go out and play my game," Menick said. "I try not to play with pressure; the only pressure that counts is what I put on myself."

In a pantheon of impressive games, two performances especially standout.

With Harvard blossoming into a bona fide Ivy League contender, Menick single-handedly demolished Holy Cross. In a game that turned into an offensive showcase, Menick was the feature attraction. He ran the ball 34 times for a whopping 261 yards, an output second in Harvard history only to the 323 yards Matt Johnson '92 gained against Brown in 1991. On one Crimson drive, Murphy gave the ball to Menick on all but one play until he reached the end zone for one of his three touchdowns on the day. Harvard easily won that game 52-24.

"The Holy Cross game is really special," Menick said. "I had never rushed for 200 yards before, not in high school or even at lower levels of competition."

The following week Harvard hosted Princeton on a cold, rainy day. Harvard needed a win to stay undefeated in the Ivy League in preparation for its game against defending-champion Dartmouth. Due to the muddy field conditions, Murphy simplified his offense to short and mid-range passes and handoffs to Menick. Menick bore the entire rushing load, carrying the ball 42 times for 125 yards as the Crimson edged the Tigers 14-12 on a late field goal by sophomore Mike Giampaolo. His 42 carries topped Hu's school record ,of 40.

"The Princeton game was sweet from a team perspective," Menick said. "It was such a big game. Watching Mike's kick go through was just a great feeling. I was glad to contribute."

Menick also topped 200 yards against Brown, racing for 201. This performance is almost overlooked since it came after the Crimson's stunning 24-0 win over Dartmouth which gave Harvard the lead in the Ivy race. Not only had no Harvard player ever rushed for two 200-yard games in one season before, but nobody has done it over the span of a career.

Especially after the Princeton game, Menick proved he has the willingness to assume almost the entire rushing load and a workhorse mentality. His willpower and stamina have earned the respect of his team.

"Chris is a warrior," Murphy said. "The intangibles he brings are something you don't see until you've watched him play. He's indefatigable and getting better with each game."

"I think the guys really respect me and the things I've done," Menick said. "I am not a big talk guy, but I try to let my actions speak for me. Since I'm still a sophomore, I just try and lead by example."

Despite his spectacular success, Menick remains remarkably focused on the task at hand. He never allows his statistics to interfere with what he has to do on a daily basis. Regardless of his particular assignment, he brings the same philosophy to every game.

"I just try to take things one carry at a time and push as hard as I can," Menick said. "I know that the minute I let up is the minute the other team begins to come back."

Although Menick is keenly aware of the legendary season he is having, his main goal is still to win. Breaking records is secondary to the team's success. Yale will certainly face a running back focused on doing whatever it takes for the team to win, even if it means forgoing another place in the annals of Harvard football.

"I concentrate on my own game," Menick said. "I do not take anything for granted, for I know that the moment I start thinking about stats it really will screw me up."

Nothing has been screwed up for Menick this year. Although, like a veteran, he has helped lead the Crimson to its first Ivy League title in 10 years, it is easy to forget that he is just a sophomore. Menick most likely will improve each season he plays. If he can post similar numbers for the remainder of his career he will wind up as Harvard's new all-time leading rusher.

Then, three years from now, another feature back will have the daunting task of escaping from Chris Menick's shadow

"The Princeton game was sweet from a team perspective," Menick said. "It was such a big game. Watching Mike's kick go through was just a great feeling. I was glad to contribute."

Menick also topped 200 yards against Brown, racing for 201. This performance is almost overlooked since it came after the Crimson's stunning 24-0 win over Dartmouth which gave Harvard the lead in the Ivy race. Not only had no Harvard player ever rushed for two 200-yard games in one season before, but nobody has done it over the span of a career.

Especially after the Princeton game, Menick proved he has the willingness to assume almost the entire rushing load and a workhorse mentality. His willpower and stamina have earned the respect of his team.

"Chris is a warrior," Murphy said. "The intangibles he brings are something you don't see until you've watched him play. He's indefatigable and getting better with each game."

"I think the guys really respect me and the things I've done," Menick said. "I am not a big talk guy, but I try to let my actions speak for me. Since I'm still a sophomore, I just try and lead by example."

Despite his spectacular success, Menick remains remarkably focused on the task at hand. He never allows his statistics to interfere with what he has to do on a daily basis. Regardless of his particular assignment, he brings the same philosophy to every game.

"I just try to take things one carry at a time and push as hard as I can," Menick said. "I know that the minute I let up is the minute the other team begins to come back."

Although Menick is keenly aware of the legendary season he is having, his main goal is still to win. Breaking records is secondary to the team's success. Yale will certainly face a running back focused on doing whatever it takes for the team to win, even if it means forgoing another place in the annals of Harvard football.

"I concentrate on my own game," Menick said. "I do not take anything for granted, for I know that the moment I start thinking about stats it really will screw me up."

Nothing has been screwed up for Menick this year. Although, like a veteran, he has helped lead the Crimson to its first Ivy League title in 10 years, it is easy to forget that he is just a sophomore. Menick most likely will improve each season he plays. If he can post similar numbers for the remainder of his career he will wind up as Harvard's new all-time leading rusher.

Then, three years from now, another feature back will have the daunting task of escaping from Chris Menick's shadow