Yale QB Patrick Witt may miss Harvard game for Rhodes Scholarship interview
Yale QB Patrick Witt is presented with an interesting dilemma regarding athletics vs. academics. On Nov. 19th, the Yale Bulldogs are set to play The Game against rival Harvard. Unfortunately, Yale’s top QB may not be able to suit up, at least in football gear. Witt was just selected as a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. Interviews, which are scheduled in his home state of Georgia, are on the same day as the Harvard game. Obviously, Witt cannot be in two places at once.
The question remains, does Witt pass on the second oldest continuing rivalry in college football history or does he pass on being a Rhodes Scholar? Yale has a 65-54-8 edge over Harvard, and the Bulldog alumni would like to see another win especially with Harvard atop the conference. Meanwhile, Witt is in a position where he could win the world’s most prestigious award and be in the same company as Edwin Hubble, James Fulbright, and Bill Clinton.
The senior gunslinger is an academic at heart as he transferred from football powerhouse Nebraska to better his education and earn a history degree from Yale. He currently holds an impressive 3.91 GPA and always dreamed of winning the Rhodes and is incredibly honored to be a finalist.
It is almost certain Witt cannot make this decision without considering his team. To begin, he wouldn’t be in this position without his fellow teammates. If Witt doesn’t play, Yale will be in a significant disadvantage as back-up QB John Whitelaw is in no position to take 1st string snaps.
Harvard currently sits atop the Ivy League with a 4-0 conference record. Meanwhile, Yale is 3-1 in conference play and is slowly climbing up the ranks of the league. The season couldn’t end better with a victory over Harvard.
In a unique twist, Witt’s head coach, Tom Williams, was also a Rhodes candidate when he was a senior at Stanford. However, Williams skipped the interview process so he could attend an NFL mini-camp.
What would you do?
