While Harvard has not played a game in Florida before playing Stetson tomorrow, all-star games have brought some of the Crimson’s finest to the Sunshine State.
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Harvard steps into uncharted territory when they play at Stetson tomorrow. The game marks their first trip to Florida ever. Their previous southernmost road game were trips to the University of Virginia in 1947 and William & Mary in 1981, 1986, and 1993.
Still, the Harvard program has multiple ties to the Sunshine State due to past standouts participating in Florida all-star games. In all, four stars ended noteworthy college careers in Florida all-star games.
Mark Steiner was the first when he appeared in the North-South Shrine Bowl in 1971 at the Orange Bowl. Steiner was a 2nd team All-Ivy League defensive tackle in 1970 and a first-team selection in 1971. In those two years, the Crimson went 12-6.
Harvard would not have another player participate in an all-star game in Florida until 2013, when Kyle Juszczyk played in the East-West Shrine Bowl at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field. Juszczyk is a household name now, but then, he was a lesser-known tight end and h-back. Juszczyk tallied 125 catches, 1576 yards and 22 touchdowns in his time in Cambridge.
He broke out in his senior season with 52 receptions for 706 yards and eight touchdowns. His prolific 2012 season earned him first team All-American nods from the Associated Press, CollegeSportsMadness, and The Sports Network. Although he did not record a catch in the game, Juszczyk used the experience as a launchpad to a distinguished NFL career as one of the greatest fullbacks of the 2000s. Juszczyk has nine Pro Bowls appearances and an All-Pro selection to his name.
Two years later, defensive end Zach Hodges appeared in the East-West Shrine Game in the same location. Hodges was a First Team AFCA All-American in 2013 after recording 6.5 sacks, eleven tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. He was arguably better the year before with nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss, but only earned second-team All-American honors from Beyond Sports Network. Hodges earned his spot in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg and had offseason stints with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
Despite never playing an NFL game, Hodges' story is one of the most inspiring in recent memory, overcoming the loss of his parents and homelessness to graduate from Harvard and receive opportunities from multiple teams.
Truman Jones is the last Harvard player to appear in a Florida all-star game when the Hula Bowl invited him to play in the 2023 game. Jones excelled at defensive end like Hodges, notching 14.5 career sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in his career. Jones' stellar 2022 senior season, in which he had six sacks and 13 tackles for loss, earned him Second team All-America honors from AFCA, and third team honors from the Associated Press, Phil Steele, and STATS Perform.
After staying on the Chiefs practice squad in 2023 and most of 2024, Jones signed with the Patriots late last season and appeared in his first career game in the season's final week.
Although the Crimson has never played in Florida as a team, some of their greatest players ever left their mark. All capped off excellent college careers, while two parlayed those all-star games into NFL experience.
The Harvard Football Record Book guided my research. You can find it here.
