Defensive tackle Thor Griffith caught the attention of Harvard head coach Tim Murphy from a youth hockey video.
Griffith, a 6-2, 305-pound senior from Portsmouth, N.H., enters the 150th season of Harvard football an FCS preseason All-American with Bluebloods and Phil Steele and is recognized as the dominant defensive presence in the Ivy League.
Murphy was initially unimpressed with Griffith’s football abilities from his three years playing defensive tackle at Portsmouth High School. But the hockey video Griffith sent showed Murphy an athleticism and toughness the veteran coach hadn’t seen on the gridiron.
“Going into his senior year we weren’t really recruiting him and he had come to our camp as junior,” said Murphy during picture day on Wednesday afternoon at Harvard Stadium. “Our coaches were less than impressed and he didn’t have a lot going for him coming from the state of New Hampshire but he was very persistent.
“He said, ‘Coach I know I can play at this level.’ I told him, ‘I appreciate that but I hear that from a lot of guys.’ ”
Instead of forwarding the video to Crimson’ hockey coach Ted Donato or dismissing it outright, Murphy gave it a hard look. The clincher came when Griffith sent a second video of his work with the Portsmouth wrestling team at the New Hampshire state championships.
“He sent me a video when he when he was a 12-year-old player at a hockey camp and they had him rated one of the top 150 prospects in North America,” said Murphy. “He was moving forward, backways, sideways and so fluid like he was 19 years old, but then he got way too big for hockey.
“Now segway to him as a 275-pound 17-year-old and he sends the video of the New Hampshire state championship super heavyweight match. In this one he is throwing around this other 275-pound kid like he was a ragdoll.
“I said right there we are taking this kid. It didn’t hurt that his SAT’s were off the charts and the rest is history. He’s gone from the surprise kid on our roster as a freshman to a dominating kid as a sophomore to an NFL prospect where he is now.”
Harvard struggled last season, going 6-4, but Griffith’s play did not slip under the radar. Griffith started 10 games and finished with 24 solo tackles with 22 assisted tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Griffith has recorded 77 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks over the last two seasons.
Harvard lost seven starters on defense but the front four represents the strength of the 2023 team. Griffith is flanked by senior tackle Tyler Huenemann, with team captain Nate Leskovec back rushing the edge.
Offensive lines have gotten more sophisticated with elaborate zone blocking schemes and Griffith has been frequently subjected to double teams. Being a physically dominant tackle only gets you so far if you can’t think your way through a game.
“We are definitely seeing a lot of different zone techniques and me personally I’ve been seeing a lot of double teams,” said Griffith. “I have in the past years and I’m sure it’s going to be more so this year.
“Nate is a great leader and phenomenal player and the same with Tyler. The thing is we have some core guys and we are trying to show the young kids what a Harvard defensive line is supposed to be.”
Harvard plays a 10-game season and does not participate in the FCS playoffs. Despite the small window of gameday opportunities to showcase his wears, Griffth’s name has appeared prominently on the lists of NFL draft worthy players in the FCS.
“A pro career is something I have been dreaming about since high school,” said Griffith. “It is something I do want to do and getting this exposure has been a blessing, it is kind of like a weight being lifted off my shoulder.”
Griffith was the Division 2 New Hampshire super heavyweight wrestling champion and he placed fourth at the New England meet. The sport demands endurance, strength and agility and the skills Griffith developed on the mat have helped him manage life in the trenches of college football.
Fred Smerlas of Waltham played 14 seasons in the NFL, was selected to five Pro Bowls, and is regarded as one of the top nose tackles off all time. Before his four-year football career at Boston College, Smerlas was the Massachusetts heavyweight state wrestling champion at Waltham High School. Smerlas always credited the skills and techniques he learned as a high school wrestler for helping him navigate the middle of an NFL front seven.
Griffith plays the same position as Smerlas and uses his knowledge of leverage and balance to make him a better lineman.
“The biggest thing was the toughness and tenacity of going through a six-minute match against another guy,” said Griffith. “It was about learning the ways bodies move and bend with the different leverage points and different balance points.
“I learned how to get people off-balance and put them in uncomfortable positions. Now I’m taking advantage of that to get by them.”