Dartmouth Opponent Spotlight | Jenny gets funny looks, wins QB job

As the starting quarterback for Dartmouth, junior Alex Jenny often surprises people when he reveals his field of study.

"Sometimes I get funny looks when I tell people I'm a Math major," he said. "But I like it more than History or English."

So when the Big Green visit Franklin Field on Saturday, Penn better watch out for this "cerebral quarterback who knows the offense cold and makes very good decisions with the football," as the Dartmouth Web site describes him.

Despite the mental edge, Jenny wasn't always guaranteed to be this year's starter.

With the graduation of Tom Bennewitz last May, it seemed Jenny, who threw for 484 yards last year, would automatically get the nod.

Yet coach Buddy Teevens decided to have an open competition for the starting role.

That didn't faze Jenny.

"It keeps you on your game every day," he said. "And you get some trust from your teammates. "

In the end, Jenny won the starting job over sophomore Tim McManus and has played decently so far. Jenny has completed 47 of 80 passes for 473 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Dartmouth's losses to Colgate and New Hampshire.

"My personal performance is based on the offense as a whole," he said. "Obviously, putting points on the board is what counts. It's been all right so far, but there are a lot of things we can do better."

Before becoming the Big Green's signalcaller, he imparted some of his football wisdom on the younger athletes in his hometown of Wayland, Mass.

During summers, his high-school weightroom was adjacent to a field used by a Pop Warner team.

He'd assist after workouts, and for a couple of years, coach full-time at the local Pop Warner Camp.

"It was fun to hang out and teach them a few things," he said.

Jenny has traded in his clipboard for a controller, as he still gets his coaching fix by commanding his New England Patriots in Madden NFL 09.

And though he hails from a town just 40 minutes from Foxboro, Jenny traces his lineage all the way to Switzerland.

His grandparents left for the United States when they were around 20 years old. They still live there six months a year, and Jenny has paid more than his fair share of visits.

In fact, he is a dual citizen.

"I'm not exactly sure how [the dual citizenship] happened," he said, "but I've been there like five or six times. It's a really nice place."

Jenny might want to stock up on Swiss Miss to keep warm during another chilly season in Hanover, N.H.

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