Princeton graduates pursue careers in professional sports

It's not just Wall Street anymore. More and more, Princeton students are emerging from the nerdery and tackling professions that have been typically underrepresented by Ivy League talent. No career typifies this trend more than the the job of professional athlete.

Sure, Princeton had its athletes in the past. Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley '65 first made a name for himself as the star of the Tiger basketball team, after which he enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the New York Knicks.

But in those days Bradley was the exception. He stood out. Today, Princeton athletes are playing at a higher level with increasing regularity in a wide variety of sports. In fact, heads barely turned when two seniors on last year's soccer team were drafted to the MLS; Matt Behncke '01, brother of freshman women's soccer player Emily, was drafted 18th overall by the Dallas Burn, and the Chicago Fire selected Mike Nugent '01 with the 46th pick.

Of course some recent athletes have turned some. Most recently, Chris Young '01 made headlines when the former star of Princeton's basketball team signed a baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, forgoing his final two years of collegiate eligibility in both sports.

Young, a 6 foot 10 inch standout at Princeton as both a basketball center and pitcher in baseball, opted for his first love when he was drafted and offered a baseball contract after his sophomore year at Princeton.

"I stayed in school my entire junior year," Young said. "But the Pirates would fly me down to Florida for six weekends in the fall to train at their instructional league. I went to spring training during spring break and I played half of a season with their single-A team the summer between my junior and senior years."

Young then completed his senior fall on campus before joining the team in the spring. He remained with the Pirates throughout the spring, yet completed his work on time by emailing his assignments back to campus — including his senior thesis.

Young just recently completed his first full season with the Pirates' Single-A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads. He has also moved to Washington D.C. to be closer to his girlfriend, former women's soccer star Liz Patrick '02, and will train there throughout the off-season. Young works with a personal trainer three days a week and has throwing sessions on the other days. He also coaches young players in a baseball academy.

Though Young continues to pay his dues in the minors, he still remains Princeton's biggest current name in professional sports and many members of the Princeton community expect him to move up to the Big Show in the near future.

"If everything continues to go according to plan," Young said, "and I continue to improve and stay injury-free, I hope to be in the big leagues within the next two years."

In addition to Young, several Tiger alums have established themselves in other professional sports.

In hockey, Jeff Halpern '99 went to the Washington Capitals and made an immediate impact on the team in his rookie season. In his second season, Halpern recorded 21 goals to go along with 21 assists while he maintained a plus-13 differential. Last year, Halpern suffered an injury early in the year that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. This season, Halpern has three goals and three assists for the 8-9-2-0 Capitals.

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Princeton has also begun to break into the ranks of the NFL. In 2001, offensive lineman Dennis Norman '01 was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the 22nd pick of the 7th round in the NFL draft. Listed at 6 foot 5 inches, 312 pounds, Norman, a three-time all-Ivy selection, is currently a second-string center and offensive tackle.

Though most people still recognize Old Nassau for its academics, the bookworms have started to close the athletic divide. Gone are the days of stereotyping dumb jocks and smart goofs. We have entered the age of the intelligent athlete.