Hanover
No one’s expecting Pallotta to beat out junior Jack Heneghan or a healthy Dixon, but what if the latter’s hurt hamstring lingers and Heneghan also goes down? It’s good to have a strong third option and Pallotta, from Canton, Ohio, has opened some eyes. The Big Green hosts New Hampshire in its Sept. 17 season opener.
“Pallotta, man, he’s zinging the ball and putting it on the money,” Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens said. “He’s got some huddle presence and the nice thing is we have some depth (at quarterback) that maybe we lacked a bit in the past.”
What about Dixon, who entered the preseason as the starter by a hair over Heneghan? When Teevens switched their standing last week, Dixon’s expressions and body language suggested sulkiness. He wasn’t expected to see much action Thursday, when Dartmouth visited Harvard for a scrimmage closed to the public and media.
“It’s a frustration for him and for us because he’s missing out on reps,” Teevens said. “When you lose a guy, other guys get better. All of a sudden, (Dixon’s) hurt for the first time and how (does he) respond? That’s a learned process.”
Memorial Field received a new artificial turf surface during the summer and walking on it was initially somewhat like a stroll on the beach. Shredded tire pellets shifted underfoot and players attempting to make sharp cuts sometimes slipped during the first practices.
Now, after repeated footsteps and the use of a dragging machine that evens out the fill, it seems the field will be ready for UNH’s arrival.
“It’s a little bit spongy,” Teevens said. “We might talk about watering it at some point but tamping it down is the big thing. We could play on it right now and it wouldn’t be a problem but rain would help it. Human traffic is important and then they groomed it a bit and it’s way better than it was.”
This time of year always brings guesses as to which freshmen are likely to see immediate playing time. It appears receiver Hunter Hagdorn, a 6-0, 185-pound Texan might be 2016’s big winner. Lightning-quick, the rookie turned down offers from Illinois, Colorado State, Harvard and Cornell, and it’s clear to see why he had multiple suitors.
Cornerback Micah Croom, who’s from the Los Angeles area, is another possible freshman starter. Offered a scholarship by Utah as a high school freshman, he committed to the Utes two years later and was also offered scholarships by Indiana, Hawaii, Illinois and Colorado. At 6-2 and 195 pounds, he could also play safety as he fills out, but he almost didn’t come to Dartmouth at all. It took a lot to convince his mother, Tiffany.
“We had to make sure she was there for Coach Teevens’ (second) home visit so she could ask all the motherly questions,” said Croom, who’s one of five children in his family. “He passed all the checkpoints and she felt a little bit more comfortable.”
Croom said Dartmouth was at one point his fifth choice, but that it steadily rose because of its consistent interest. Other schools drifted in and out with how seriously they seemed to take Croom’s pursuit, but Teevens and since-departed assistant Mike Bruno demonstrated nonstop commitment.
“A lot of recruiters were here one day and gone the next week,” Croom said. “Dartmouth just rode it through the whole process. You can get a great education and making it to the professional level in football isn’t a fairy tale here. It’s been done in the classes here before us, where guys had that opportunity. I have the possibility of getting the best of both worlds.”
Mother and son talk on video every day and Tiffany and her husband, Larry, plan to come out for a pair of Dartmouth games this season.
“It’s just the distance that she had to get over,” Micah Croom said. “That and the weather. She thinks there’s a blizzard coming in on us any day.”
Notes: Former Dartmouth quarterback Dalyn Williams, who exhausted his college eligibility last fall, attended last weekend’s intrasquad scrimmage and said he’s enrolled for the fall term and doesn’t expect to pursue an NFL career any longer. The Texan was with the Chicago Bears for a few weeks during the summer. … Teevens said five NFL scouts have attended Dartmouth practices thus far, most wanting to see defensive back Charlie Miller and linebacker Folarin Orimolade. … Teevens led the freshmen up Norwich’s Gile Mountain last weekend and most of them also climbed to the top of a fire tower perched at its summit. … The Big Green’s freshmen are spending considerable time in Dartmouth’s general orientation process, which runs through Sunday. … Senior cornerback Danny McManus, counted on to be a starter, has battled a hamstring injury and is considered questionable for the UNH game. … Canton, Ohio, Jake Pallotta’s hometown, is the site of the NFL’s 1920 formation and home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was the home of former U.S. President William McKinley, country musician Boz Scaggs, soul group The O’Jays, shock rocker Marilyn Manson, R&B singer Macy Gray and Playboy playmate Nicole Wood.