Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Merrimack on September 13, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1
Final
Men's Soccer
vs Merrimack
1
1
Dartmouth in Pro Football
The academically prestigious Ivy League may seem a long way from the bone-jarring world of professional football but more than 40 Dartmouth football alumni have reached this level over the years, including one Pro Football Hall of Famer. Among Dartmouth players in the professional ranks:
Dartmouth's most recent NFL player is Niko Lalos ’20, signed by the New York Giants as an undrated free agent and activated for the 11th game of the 2020 season. Lalos came up with a couple of big plays against teams with Dartmouth connections in his first two games. First, made a big impression in his NFL debut, first by getting well-wishes on Twitter from LeBron James, then by snaring an interception that led to a field goal in a 19-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, owned by Mike Brown ’57. The following week, he recovered a fumble by Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, son of Harry Wilson ’77, in a 17-12 upset win over the Seahawks.
The Big Green’s most recent NFL draftee is Casey Cramer '04, the All-America and All-Ivy tight end who became one of Dartmouth's all-time receiving leaders from 2000-03. Cramer was taken in the seventh round of the 2004 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a tight end-fullback. He played with the Carolina Panthers in 2004-05 and joined the Tennessee Titans in 2006.
| Big Green Pro Football Players | |||
| Name | Pos | Team(s) | Year(s) |
| Phil Bower '21 | B | Cleveland Indians | 1921 |
| Johnny Bryan '20 | QB TB |
Chicago Cardinals Chicago Bears Milwaukee Badgers |
1922-27 |
| Charles (Chick) Burke '23 | B | Providence Steam Roller | 1925 |
| Casey Cramer '04 | E B |
Carolina Panthers Tennessee Titans Miami Dolphins |
2004-08 |
| Jake Crouthamel '60 | RB | Boston Patriots | 1960 |
| Joe Crowley '43 | E DB |
Boston Yanks | 1944-45 |
| Nick Daukas '44 | T G |
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) | 1946-47 |
| F. (Joe) DuSossoit '18 | E | New York Giants | 1921 |
| Jay Fiedler '94 | QB | Philadelphia Eagles Minnesota Vikings Jacksonville Jaguars Miami Dolphins New York Jets |
1994-95, '98-2005 |
| Milt Ghee '15 | B | Chicago Tigers Cleveland Indians |
1920-21 |
| Ed Gustafson USN '43 | C LB |
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) | 1947-48 |
| Charlie Guy '19 | C G |
Detroit Heralds Buffalo All-Americans Cleveland Indians Dayton Triangles |
1920-23, 1925 |
| Vern Hagenbuckle '24 | E G |
Providence Steam Roller | 1926 |
| Les Haws '24 | B | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 1924-25 |
| Ed Healey '18 (Pro HoF) | T | Rock Island Independents Chicago Bears |
1920-27 |
| Bill Hutchinson '40 | QB DB |
New York Giants | 1942 |
| Jonathan Jenkins '49 | T | Baltimore Colts New York Yankees (AAFC) |
1949-50 |
| Matt Kaskey '20 | OL | Carolina Panthers | 2020 |
| Jeff Kemp '81 | QB | Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Philadelphia Eagles |
1981-91 |
| Bob Krieger '41 | E | Philadelphia Eagles | 1941, '46 |
| Niko Lalos ’20 | DL | New York Giants | 2020 |
| Jim Landrigan USMC '43 | T | Baltimore Colts (AAFC) | 1947 |
| Lloyd Lee '98 | DB | San Diego Chargers | 1998-99 |
| Nick Lowery '78 | K | New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs New York Jets |
1978, 1980-96 |
| Bob MacLeod '39 | HB DB |
Chicago Bears | 1939 |
| Ray MacMurray '17 | G | Muncie Flyers | 1921 |
| Gerald (Red) Maloney '24 | E B |
Providence Steam Roller New York Yankees (AFL/NFL) Boston Bulldogs (NFL) |
1925-27, 1929 |
| Don McKinnon '63 | LB C |
Boston Patriots | 1963-64 |
| Joseph (Cuddy) Murphy '21 | G | Canton Bulldogs Cleveland Indians |
1920-21 |
| Bill Roberts '51 | HB | Green Bay Packers | 1956 |
| Gregg Robinson '78 | DT | New York Jets | 1978 |
| Gordie Rule '68 | DB | Green Bay Packers | 1968-69 |
| John Shelburne '19 | FB | Hammond Pros | 1922 |
| Dave Shula '81 | WR | Baltimore Colts | 1981 |
| Gus Sonnenberg '20 | T FB |
Buffalo All-Americans Columbus Tigers Detroit Panthers Providence Steam Roller |
1923-30 |
| Merwin (Swede) Swenson '23 | G | Chicago Bulls (AFL) | 1926 |
| Karl Thielscher '17 | FB | Buffalo All-Americans | 1920 |
| George Tully '27 | E | Philadelphia Quakers (AFL) Frankford Yellow Jackets |
1926-27 |
| Zack Walz '98 | LB | Arizona Cardinals | 1998-2002 |
| Tom Whelan '19 | E C G |
Canton Bulldogs Cleveland Indians |
1920-21 |
| Reggie Williams '76 | LB | Cincinnati Bengals | 1976-89 |
| Alex Wizbicki USMC '43 | DB HB |
Buffalo Bills (AAFC) Green Bay Packers |
1947-50 |
| Adam Young ’99 | TE | San Diego Chargers | 2001 |
| Adolph (Swede) Youngstrom '18 | G T |
Buffalo All-Americans Canton Bulldogs Buffalo Bisons Cleveland Bulldogs Frankford Yellow Jackets |
1920-27 |
Jay Fiedler '94, the Ivy League Player of the Year in 1992 who still holds several Dartmouth passing records, succeeded Dan Marino in 2000 as the Miami Dolphins' quarterback and helped the Dolphins reach the NFL playoffs. During five seasons with the Dolphins, Fiedler had a 36-23 record as a starter, passing for 11,040 yards and 66 touchdowns. He played for the New York Jets in 2005, a season punctuated by injuries that continued to plague him with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and prompted his retirement in 2006. Over 11 seasons Fiedler had a career won-lost record of 37-23 with 11,844 yards passing and 69 touchdowns.
Fiedler signed originally as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. He later moved to the Minnesota Vikings. After a tour in NFL Europe in 1998, he was the backup quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1999 as the Jags also reached the playoffs.
Linebacker Zack Walz '98, one of four Dartmouth players to be voted first team All-Ivy three times, was drafted in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998. Walz was the first Dartmouth player taken in the draft since Gregg Robinson '78 was tapped by the New York Jets in the sixth round in 1978.
During five seasons, though dogged by leg injuries, Walz saw special teams and starting action with the Cardinals. He was a teammate of and roomed with Pat Tillman who left pro football to become an Army Ranger and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
Walz's Dartmouth teammate, defensive back Lloyd Lee '98, signed in 1998 as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers and saw spot duty with the Chargers for two seasons. He remained in pro football on the staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is now a coach with the Chicago Bears who went to the Super Bowl in 2007.
In 2000, tight end Adam Young '99 signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants. Young owns a ring from New York's 2001 Super Bowl appearance and was a member of the 2001 San Diego Chargers.
Over the Years in the NFL
Dartmouth has been represented in the NFL from the league's beginning when Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Ed Healey '18 was the first player in the NFL to be traded, moving from the Rock Island Independents to the Chicago Bears after player-coach and future owner George Halas acquired his services for $100. Healey played with the Bears from 1922-27 and was called by Halas “the most versatile tackle in history.”
Drafted in the third round of the 1976 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Reggie Williams '76 enjoyed a 14-year career as an All-Pro linebacker for the Bengals. Williams made two Super Bowl appearances with the Bengals (1982, 1989). He was named the NFL's Man of the Year in 1986.
After persevering through 11 cuts by eight different teams, Nick Lowery '78 broke into the NFL in 1980. He had an 18-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets and set the NFL record for career field goals. He remains the league's most accurate field goal kicker of all time (80 percent).
Jeff Kemp '81 followed his father, Jack Kemp, into the NFL. He spent more than a decade as a quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Kemp's classmate, Dave Shula '81, made his mark with an NFL coaching career that included stops with Miami and Dallas. In 1992, the Cincinnati Bengals made him the youngest head coach in NFL history. At age 31, he edged his famous father, Don Shula, by a few months.
Quarterback Mike Brown '57 followed his father, legendary coach Paul Brown, into NFL management. He is president and general manager of the Bengals. Brown's daughter, Kate Brown Blackburn '86, now is the Bengals' executive vice president.
For the past 25 years, John Idzik '82, a wide receiver in 1981, has been an NFL administrator. He spent 11 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and three with the Arizona Cardinals. He became vice president, football administration for the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 and served as the New York Jets general manager in 2013-14 before taking his current stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a special assistant to the GM.
Other Dartmouth Professionals
Other Dartmouth players who have gone into pro football (but not the NFL) include: safety Garrett Waggoner ’13 suited up for the Winnipeg Jets (CFL) in 2015-16 and running back Ryder Stone ’18 played for the Montreal Alouettes in 2018-19, scoring his first professional touchdown in his rookie season. The 2016 Bushnell Cup winner, Folarin Orimolade ’17, played for the Calgary Stampeders in 2018 before an injury forced him to miss the 2019 campaign. After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 CFL season, he is expected to be back on the field in 2021.
Anthony Gargiulo '06 was a defensive end with the Stampeders in 2007. Derham Cato '05, back with the Big Green as the tight ends coach in 2010, was a defensive tackle with the Toronto Argonauts in 2007.
Wide receiver Craig Morton '89 and David Clark '90 played for Frankfurt and Birmingham respectively in the World League of American Football. Free safety Pete Pidermann '10 played for the Mönchengladbach Mavericks in the German Football League 2, and defensive end Nick Tomkins ’18 played in France for Les Cougars de Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône.
Quarterback Jim Chasey '71, co-recipient with Cornell's Ed Marinaro of the first Bushnell Award as the Ivy League's outstanding player in 1970, played with the Montreal Alouettes in the early 1970s.
Kyle Schroeder '00, a standout defensive end at Dartmouth in 1998-99, played with the XFL's Birmingham Thunderbolts in 2001.
Quarterbacks Greg Smith '02 and Brian Mann '02 have Arena Football League experience. Mann played for several seasons with the Los Angeles Avengers and also made his debut as an actor as the stand-in for Adam Sandler in the movie, The Longest Yard, released in 2005.
