Sands Inked by Steelers

All of a sudden, Harvard University has become into a football factory.

Yesterday, one day after Harvard senior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the NFL draft, senior defensive end Mike Sands and senior tight end Chris Eitzmann were both been offered free-agent contracts by NFL teams.

Sands will officially sign his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers this afternoon. He will then depart for Pittsburgh tomorrow in order to be with the team in time for the start of mini-camp on Thursday.

Eitzmann, meanwhile, has agreed to terms with the New England Patriots, and is expected to meet up with the team later this week.

"I'm real excited," Sands said. "This is something I've been dreaming about since I was just kid."

Though he played as a defensive lineman for Harvard, Sands (6'4', 235 lbs.) said he is probably too small to continue at that position at the pro level. If he succeeds in making the Steelers' roster, Sands would likely be moved to outside linebacker, a position he played earlier in his Crimson football career.

At linebacker, Sands' primary job would be applying pressure on the opposing quarterback. Pittsburgh is one of the few teams in the NFL that runs a 3-4 defense, with a trio of down lineman up front flanked by four linebackers.

"I'm pretty excited about their system," Sands said. "Rushing the passer is what I'm best at."

Sands first spoke with the Steelers during the draft on Sunday. Pittsburgh team officials called him during the late rounds to tell him that if he did not end up getting selected, he would be signed as a free agent on Monday.

Sands said he also had had conversations with the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints before agreeing in principle with the Steelers yesterday.

The day after the draft is traditionally a busy time for free agent signings, as teams scramble to claim unselected college players who have the raw skills to play competitively at the pro level.

In addition to Sands, the Steelers also agreed to terms with 12 other college free agents yesterday. Those players will accompany the team's nine draft selections at rookie orientation later this week.

Sands said he knows he will face tough competition for a roster spot, but he remains optimistic about his chances nonetheless.

"They drafted another guy similar to me in the sixth round," Sands said. "But I'm just going to do everything I can. I'm real excited about just having the chance to play."

Sands, who hails from Cleveland Heights, OH, said he has several friends in the greater Pittsburgh area who are excited about the chance to watch him play for the renowned Iron Curtain defense.