Time will tell what impact Gabriel Fernandez will have on the Yale offensive line but figured I would pass on the fact that one of the worst-kept secrets out there is finally a done deal.
I heard from his father last night that he is going to enroll at Yale and look to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Frank, a first-team All-Ivy selection for Harvard back in 2006.
I know this much, offensive line was anything but a strength for Yale last season and with five players who started games on the OL graduating, getting somebody like the 6-foot, 273-pound Fernandez can only help rebuild an offensive line that is in need of a makeover.
Practice for USA Football's national team began today in Canton, Ohio in preparation for the first International Federation of American Football.
Yale incoming freshman Kurt Stottlemyer, a defensive back from Bothell, Wash., is one of 45 players who will suit up for the U.S. squad.
IFAF Junior World Championship games will be played on June 27, July 1, July 4 and July 5 (Gold Medal Game) at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.
Will Gabriel Fernandez be an Eli this fall or be a freshman in 2010?
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the OL was so bad last year, when it had a good number of experienced guys who had excelled in the past.
Finally, if anyone's wondering, Kurt Stottlemyer can't be related to Mel Stottlemyre, though both hail from western Washington state -- different spellings.
He will be on the 2009 team. As to the struggles of the offensive line last season, it is the biggest question surrounding that season. I think losing the threat of a running quarterback certainly didn't help. I think Cornell stole a bit out of Harvard's game plan and put an emphasis on penetration in the backfield so Mike McLeod couldn't get going. Yale never made opponents pay by making plays in the passing game and the offensive linemen never seemed to get comfortable despite being an experienced group.
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding, Jim. Yes, that Cornell loss probably instilled quite a bit of doubt in Yale's offense. Fodor and Hart threw pretty well, but didn't make a lot of big plays.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate this blog; grew up near the Bowl and follow the Elis from Seattle now. I hope UW's four coaching alums do Yale proud. A pal in Husky athletics says he always sensed Williams was destined for head coaching.