Tim Strickland shocked the Penn faithful last year, picking off quarterback Pat McDermott twice and helping Princeton end almost a decade of football frustration against the Quakers in a 30-13 win.
But the 6-foot-1, 190-pound strong safety's performance was no surprise to opposing coaches, who have watched Strickland wreak havoc on Ivy defenses from the moment of his arrival in Old Nassau.
If Strickland, now a senior, logs starts in the final three games this year - which he will, barring injury - he will become the first player to graduate Princeton's program having started every game of his college career. He became only the second ever to start all 10 games of his freshman year on either side of the ball, despite switching from offense to defense shortly before his first collegiate game in 2003.
"It's a great honor for me, personally, to have been given the opportunity to do it," Strickland said of his potential four-year record. "It would mean a whole lot more to me, though, if we end this season with a championship trophy to put in our trophy case."
Now, as the Tigers are squarely in the hunt for that elusive title with only one conference loss, they hope that the mantra of "defense wins championships" holds true. Strickland anchors a defense that could hardly have any more balance - Princeton leads the Ivies in points allowed but does not have even one of the league's top-20 tacklers.
Not bad for a kid who, four years ago, was a highly recruited wide receiver out of Cumming, Ga. Fast forward four seasons, and he is leading the Ancient Eight with a trio of picks and is on track to gain even more accolades than his Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection last year.
And just as one would expect from a player who has started games for Princeton since before the last presidential election, Strickland himself prefers not to take on the mantle of being the team's focal point.
"I'm not really a 'rah-rah' speech guy," he said. "I like to think of myself as a dependable teammate who is going to do his best to make plays when in position to do so."
The players around him have certainly helped in that regard. Last season, the Tigers were able to virtually shut down one side of the field after Jay McCareins blossomed into a First-Team All-American - and later an NFL rookie - at cornerback. With less need for him to help on deep coverages, Strickland played his best football over the second half of last year, picking off four passes in his last four games, including crucial interceptions in wins over Penn and Cornell.
Strickland shines in the
interceptions category, a product of the speed and hands that could have made him a big-time receiver were it not for a thin secondary his freshman year that prompted coach Roger Hughes to move him to safety.
Now, those who have seen him say Strickland has the versatility to play either secondary position and to transition between soft coverage, pass rushing and pass protection with equal ease.
It is a powerful precedent for a contributor who likes to lead - but only by example.
"His leadership really started to emerge last year when he began to control our secondary checks and alignments," Hughes said. "If people are not doing their job or are not performing with the level of intensity necessary, he lets them know."
Penn coach Al Bagnoli said that "he's a big, rangy, instinctive safety that they ask to do a lot of things. . He's had a stellar career."
After being given every opportunity from day one, Strickland is paying huge dividends for the Tigers. That trophy may get closer if he keeps it up on Saturday.
