Harvard's Ortiz Named Third-Team All American

Junior defensive tackle Josué Ortiz can bench the more than a sumo wrestler, throw quarterbacks to the ground, and block punts.

This afternoon, the Associated Press acknowledged those abilities and named the Crimson standout a third-team All American. Columbia tight end Andrew Kennedy was the only other Ivy Leaguer to make the cut, notching a second-team award.

The honor comes after a season in which Ortiz finished second in the league in sacks and tied for first in tackles for loss. Ortiz finished the season with 34 tackles, including 14 solo tackles, and 7.5 sacks.

But the stats don't tell the full story of Ortiz's dominance. Offensive lines struggled to contain the dynamic pass rusher all season, and the junior often forced quarterbacks to make hurried throws or opened holes for teammates.

"It makes playing linebacker a lot of fun," rising captain Alex Gedeon has said of playing with Ortiz and graduating senior Chuks Obi. "You know, it opens up a lot of gaps that we can run through and make plays, because they’re taking on double teams and they’re so destructive up front. Those two guys have made my job a lot easier this year."

Prior to his selection as an All American, Ortiz was named All New England and first team All Ivy. Ortiz and graduating captain Collin Zych were the only defensive players in the league to be unanimously named to the first team.