Patterson's earned his stripes

"Two years ago here, I was over at about the 35-yard line there, and he hit me pretty good," Penn senior wide receiver Miles Macik said pointing at a spot on Franklin Field. "I was blocking on the play, and he got me good. That's how I knew he was a player. That was my introduction to No. 43." All in all, No. 43, otherwise known as Princeton senior linebacker Dave Patterson, has placed 303 such hits on opposing receivers, running backs and quarterbacks, leaving him just six tackles shy of the Tigers' all-time leader, Aaron Harris. Patterson could break the record at Franklin Field Saturday when Princeton and Penn meet with first place in the Ivy League on the line. Ironically, the man Patterson now chases in the Princeton record books was a mentor of sorts during Patterson's freshman year. It was Harris who took Patterson under his wing when Harris was an all-Ivy senior linebacker and Patterson a star on the freshman squad. "The freshmen practiced separately from the varsity team," Patterson said. "But the last few weeks of the season, we got together. I learned a lot from Aaron." When Harris graduated after the 1992 season, Princeton coach Steve Tosches did not have to look far to find a suitable replacement. Patterson had led the freshman squad with 51 tackles to go along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Any fears Tosches may have had of a massive dropoff at Harris's vacated position dissipated after Patterson's first varsity game. In the 1993 season-opener against Cornell, Patterson almost single-handedly stopped the Big Red offense with a 16-tackle performance, which still stands as his career high. Patterson finished his sophomore season with Harris-like numbers: 93 tackles, 3.5 sacks and six tackles for losses. No. 43 was rewarded with second-team all-Ivy honors as a first-year starter at one of the Ancient Eight's deepest positions. Seemingly undersized as a 185-pound linebacker, Patterson had another monster season as a junior, racking up an unimaginable 130 tackles in 10 games. He was subsequently named captain of the 1995 Tigers. Again, Patterson looked to Aaron Harris for advice. "He was a great player, but that's not what made him a great leader," Patterson said of Harris. "He cared about everyone on the team. He got to know everyone on a personal level. I've tried to take that approach to the position. But I still have to be myself." And despite his added duties, Patterson has managed to do just that -- be himself. He is again on target for a 100-tackle season and his procession that took him from second-team all-Ivy as a sophomore to first-team all-Ivy as a junior may lead him straight to the Ivy player of the year award as a senior. "I didn't even know I was being considered," Patterson said. "The only thing that pops into my mind is that the award usually goes to a person who's team wins the league." With a perfect 7-0 record and sole possession of the Ivy lead, Princeton is in great position to win the conference championship. Consequently, Patterson is in great position to win the Asa Bushnell Cup as the conference's best player. "I don't have any idea how the voting will go," Tosches said. "But we would not be where we are right now if he was not in our lineup. "He has an instinct for the football that I don't think any linebacker we've had has ever really had. He can track things down on the outside better than anybody I've ever seen." Two years after their first varsity meeting, Patterson and Macik will clash for the final time. But this time, they are not just two sophomores trying to make names for themselves. They are the leading candidates for the Bushnell Cup. And despite achieving all-American status and winning two Ivy championships, Macik remembers that first encounter with Patterson all too well. "I know I'll always give a little glance to the middle to see where he is before every play," Macik said. "Just to see when he's blitzing and when he's dropping." But people have been watching Dave Patterson for years now. And no one has ever figured out how to stop him.