Lessons learned on gridiron help Ehrlich '79 in life, politics

The crucible of college athletics, with its demanding competition, discipline and teamwork, has helped forge many great leaders over the years, one of whom is certainly Maryland Governor Robert "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. '79.

Ehrlich, who served as captain of the football team his senior year, was a linebacker for the Tigers and has fond memories of his days in Orange and Black, despite playing for teams that never broke .500. To this day, he continues to draw upon the support of his teammates as he negotiates the world of politics, proudly boasting that 56 Princetonians were at his inauguration as governor in 2002.

After graduating from Old Nassau, Ehrlich attended law school at Wake Forest, from which he graduated in 1982. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 1995, when he defeated classmate Gerry Brewster '79 to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, joining the new Republican majority under Newt Gingrich.

He stayed on Capitol Hill until the 2002 gubernatorial race, when he became Maryland's first Republican governor in 34 years, coming from behind in the polls to defeat heavily favored lieutenant-governor Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend.

"You always have analogies to sports, and clearly that's true in politics," Ehrlich said. "Both are emotional, require discipline, and both have clear wins and clear losses. My athletics really prepared me for any competitive environment, where we fight every day."

'A different era'

On the gridiron at Princeton, Ehrlich fought hard, playing in what he describes as "a different era" — one in which the Tigers saw only two winning seasons during all of the 1970s. Yale was the dominant team in the league in those years, handing Princeton decisive losses in all four of the games Ehrlich played against the Elis. The Tigers also still played cross-state rival Rutgers, which Ehrlich remembers as a challenge, playing against athletes who tended to be bigger and faster.

Ehrlich says that his best memory from his days on the field is from his junior year. That year, the Tigers traveled to Harvard and, using their innovative multi-flex offense, dealt a strong Crimson team a decisive 20-7 defeat.

Ehrlich credits athletics for playing an important role in building his character, and believes that playing on the football team is a valuable experience that can translate across generations.

"Most young people in a tough, physically difficult sport can get a lot out of it," Ehrlich said. "You develop mental toughness, and learn to appreciate your friends more."

He credits much of his political success to a group of 25 or so former teammates who have helped him on every campaign he has ever run — raising money, working the polls and doing whatever was necessary to ensure victory for their former captain. Despite being 25 years removed from Princeton, the bonds of loyalty born on the football field have remained strong among the teammates.

Ehrlich has stayed involved in the Princeton football program throughout his political career, trying to come up for a game or two every year. He enjoyed talking to the team before the Yale game last year and will speak at the Ivy Football Association Dinner in January.

When asked which side he would root for in a Princeton-Maryland contest, the lifelong resident of the Old Line State would only say that he's glad that it never happens in football, and while he wouldn't admit to rooting against his own state, he did unabashedly confess that he loves his alma mater's program. In his opinion, Princeton is "the best school in the universe."