For Curtis, a fitting finale to four years

CAMBRIDGE – Inside the locker room on the first floor of the Dillon Field House, members of the Harvard football team celebrated their twin Saturday successes – a victory over Yale, and an Ivy League championship. Amid the cheers, a late arrival rushed through the field house entrance.”Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry,” senior captain Matt Curtis said as he sped inside the locker room.Saturday left Curtis little to regret. The Lynn English graduate concluded his Crimson captaincy and career by helping Harvard blank Yale, 10-0, in the 125th playing of the teams’ season finale, better known as “The Game.” The win ensured Harvard (9-1, 6-1 Ivy League) a share of the league championship with Brown – the Crimson’s second straight Ivy crown. After the postgame celebrations, Curtis exchanged his Crimson jersey for a black Nike short-sleeve shirt and reflected upon the past four years.”It’s been an amazing experience,” said Curtis, a defensive lineman and the 135th captain in Harvard history. “I can’t imagine anything any other way. I went from a football program that didn’t win many games, at least when I was there, to Harvard, a proven winner. To be a part of that, I’m the luckiest person in the entire world.”Curtis entered Harvard having endured the loss of his father, Mike. Both of his parents faced drug and alcohol addictions, although his father prevailed against his difficulties before succumbing to kidney cancer at age 52. Curtis praised the support he receives from five family members: his sister Michelle (Campbell) and her husband Jon; his sister Amanda; his niece Grace; and his brother Mike.”My family’s been here every game,” Curtis said. “Every single game. My success is a direct reflection of how much they cared and loved me. It’s a family victory for me, my brother, and my sisters. We’re all doing pretty good right now.”Curtis gave his family a performance to enjoy on Saturday, and not only on the field. Early in the second quarter, the audience heard his voice over the public-address system. “Hey, fans, I’m team captain Matt Curtis,” he said. “Welcome to the 125th playing of the Harvard-Yale game.”The game presented challenges for both Curtis and his team. If Yale won, and if two other teams triumphed – Columbia over Brown and Penn over Cornell – the Elis would have joined Harvard, Penn, and Brown in a four-way tie for the title.Meanwhile, on an individual level, Curtis faced a formidable opponent in Yale offensive lineman Stephen Morse, who stands at 6-3, 313. Curtis is 6-2, 255.”(Morse is) a good player,” Curtis said. “Last year, they moved an All-American on me. I take a lot of pride in that. Steve Morse is a good player. I give him a lot of credit. But it’s our day.”Perhaps no moment punctuated that statement better than what happened on Yale’s last threat with just over two minutes left in regulation. The Bulldogs had a second down on the Harvard 2-yard line when Curtis’ two best friends on the team got the ball back. Lineman Eric Schultz strip-sacked Yale quarterback Brook Hart, and then Curtis’ roommate, Carl Ehrlich, dove on the loose ball for a recovery with 2:02 left.”Our defense had to come up and play great,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “That last stand down in a closed end zone was remarkable.”It turned out to be Curtis’ last play in a Harvard uniform, and he celebrated it with gusto, leaping onto the shoulders of his Nebraskan teammate, offensive guard Zach Copple. In a game played 40 years after the Crimson stormed back to tie Yale, 29-29, this season’s Crimson ran out the clock for its own timeless finish.After the game, Curtis fielded a few questions about his future, including one about what was next for him.”Party it up with my teammates,” he said. “Enjoy this win. Savor this moment. Whatever happens will happen. Let God take care of that.”Another reporter asked, “NFL, maybe, after this?””It’s in God’s hands,” Curtis said. “I couldn’t ask for a better ending.”