Just one year and one week after winning his final collegiate game, former Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed the full transition from Ivy League to NFL quarterback.
When St. Louis Rams backup quarterback Jamie Martin got injured November 27 against the Houston Texans, the Rams were left with with an untested rookie to take his place.
The question the players had to ask themselves was: Do Ivy League players have what it takes to play at the next level?
The answer, in this case, was a resounding "yes."
Fitzpatrick stepped in and proved he was up to the challenge, showing why he was the first Ivy League quarterback to be drafted since Columbia's John Witkowski in 1984.
Fitzpatrick passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns -- including a 56-yard game-winner in overtime -- while throwing one interception in leading the Rams to a 33-27 win over the Texans.
While his performance may have surprised many onlookers, Harvard coach Tim Murphy said he always knew Fitzpatrick had a chance to succeed in the NFL.
"I would be the last one in the world who is surprised," Murphy said. "I've been trying to tell people for a long time. He has toughness, competitiveness, poise that are off the scale."
The folks at Harvard were not the only ones who realized Fitzpatrick's talent. Opposing teams also knew he was an excellent player and would always provide a challenge.
"He was such a gifted athlete," Penn quarterbacks coach Larry Woods said. "He made so many plays outside of the pocket.
Fitzpatrick's greatest asset was "his ability to make plays when the [scripted] play broke down," Woods said.
He started his final college game on November 20, 2004 -- a 35-3 rout of Yale at Harvard Stadium to close out an undefeated Ivy League championship season that won him Ivy Player of the Year.
Fitzpatrick's excellent season put him in position to be picked in the NFL draft, but some teams questioned the level of competition he had faced.
"The best reaction I get is, 'they play football at Harvard?'" Fitzpatrick said in a press conference prior to April's draft . "A lot of the coaches are good about it. They respect the school and respect the program."
In the end he was drafted in the seventh round by the Rams, though he had been projected as high as a fifth rounder by Ourlads' Scouting Service.
Murphy said the Rams also had him rated much higher, but they had not planned on drafting a quarterback in 2005. When Fitzpatrick fell to the 7th round, they could not resist.
And now, only seven months later, Fitzpatrick is an NFL starting quarterback.
A big reason he made it this far is his knowledge of the game, Woods said.
"There's a lot more there than just his athleticism," Woods said. "His football intelligence made him special."
While he did not play too well in his first start last Sunday against the Washington Redskins -- he threw for only 163 yards and zero TDs and one INT in a 24-9 loss -- Fitzpatrick still showed promise for the future.
"I certainly thought he had the skill level," Woods said. But "would anybody expect the level of success in the short run? Absolutely not."
While it is difficult for any quarterback to break in so quickly, it must be said that there is not much precedent for successful Ivy League quarterbacks in the National Football League.
Current New York Jets signal caller Jay Fiedler of Dartmouth is a notable exception. Fiedler had four straight seasons with over 2,000 yards passing and 10 touchdowns as Miami Dolphins starter from 2000-04. He had a career-high 20 TD passes in the 2001 campaign.
The question still remains as to whether Fitzpatrick is on his way to joining Fiedler as one of the few to thrive.
"Ryan will be 10 years in the NFL," Murphy said. "There's no question in my mind. He's the real deal."
How will Fitzpatrick's ultimate performance affect future Ivy Leaguers?
It certainly will not hurt teams' view of the conference if Fitzpatrick becomes its face in the mind of the NFL.
Fitzpatrick will be a "great ambassador for Ivy League football," Murphy said, calling his former player tough, classy, and humble.
Still, it remains doubtful that his success would affect recruiting dramatically.
"It might make [NFL scouts] take a little bit of a closer look," Woods said.
However, he emphasized that one player's career would not greatly affect future Ivy Leaguers.
"No matter where you are as a college football player, if you have the tools and the skills, they're going to find you," Woods added.
That is precisely what happened to Ryan Fitzpatrick at Harvard.
Ancient Eight to NFL - Jets QB Jay Fiedler (Dartmouth '94): Had four straight seasons with over 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns for Miami. Had a career high of 20 TD passes in 2001 - Giants FB Jim Finn (Penn '99): Starts at fullback for N.Y., and has 237 receiving yards on 31receptions on his career to date. - 49'ers TE Eric Johnson (Yale '01): Among the best NFL tight ends in 2004, when he had 82 catches for 825 yards and 2 touchdowns. Was injured for all of the 2005 season.
