[Mick]

The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.

Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.

Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.

BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com

The next year's Harvard Yale game was just as dramatic. Both teams were undefeated, but Yale, led by Dowling, was the heavy favorite. That prediction looked accurate as Yale took a 29-13 lead into the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Then Harvard suddenly came to life, scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and went down and tied the game. The headlines read "Harvard defeats Yale, 29-29."
The Yale coach was asked after the game if he considered putting his offensive stars (Dowling was also a star DB in high school who held the Ohio HS record for interceptions) in the game to stop Harvard's last drive. No, he said, he didn't want the people taken out to go through their lives knowing they were the people sacrificed to save the victory. Gives you an idea of the Ivy League attitude towards sports.

Wasn’t he also Plunketts back up at NE?

That he was. And he did very well in 1972, his rookie year and Plunkett's second year. He was his backup in 1973 and didn't record a pass. He played in the WFL, then the CFL when the WFL folded. And in 1977, he returned to the NFL to the Packers for a few games. Signed by the Rams in 1978, didn't make the final roster.

[Mick]

The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.

Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.

Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.

BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com

The next year's Harvard Yale game was just as dramatic. Both teams were undefeated, but Yale, led by Dowling, was the heavy favorite. That prediction looked accurate as Yale took a 29-13 lead into the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Then Harvard suddenly came to life, scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and went down and tied the game. The headlines read "Harvard defeats Yale, 29-29."
The Yale coach was asked after the game if he considered putting his offensive stars (Dowling was also a star DB in high school who held the Ohio HS record for interceptions) in the game to stop Harvard's last drive. No, he said, he didn't want the people taken out to go through their lives knowing they were the people sacrificed to save the victory. Gives you an idea of the Ivy League attitude towards sports.

Wasn’t he also Plunketts back up at NE?

That he was. And he did very well in 1972, his rookie year and Plunkett's second year. He was his backup in 1973 and didn't record a pass. He played in the WFL, then the CFL when the WFL folded. And in 1977, he returned to the NFL to the Packers for a few games. Signed by the Rams in 1978, didn't make the final roster.