One of a handful of former Princeton football players in the NFL has a new home.
John Lovett ’19, quarterback of the undefeated, Ivy League champion 2018–2019 Princeton football team, was signed by the Miami Dolphins last week.
Lovett is one of the most accomplished athletes in Princeton sports history. Following his high school career at football powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, he came to dominate the Ivy League, winning the Bushnell Cup as Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and again in 2018. Princeton placed first in the Ivy League both seasons.
During his senior season in 2018, Lovett led the highest-scoring offense in Ivy League history and became Princeton’s first two-time first-team All-American since Keith Elias in the early 1990s. In 2016, Lovett broke Princeton’s single-season rushing touchdowns record, running in 20 scores. That season, he accounted for 31 total touchdowns — more than five other Ivy League teams.
After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Lovett was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as a fullback. Unfortunately, he missed his entire rookie year after being placed on injured reserve during training camp, although he ended up becoming a Super Bowl champion when Kansas City waived him before the start of the 20–21 season. Lovett was then signed by the Green Bay Packers. During the 20–2021 season, he recorded three receptions for six yards in eight games played. He moved between the practice squad and active roster before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in November.
The Dolphins signed John Lovett on Feb. 18, 2022. Just a few weeks earlier, Miami had hired Mike McDaniel as their new head coach. McDaniel was previously the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers where he ran an offense in which fullbacks were frequently used; Kyle Juszczyk, a former Harvard football standout, played a significant role as the 49ers starting fullback under McDaniel.
With Mike McDaniel’s new offensive scheme, John Lovett may once again find substantial success.
Akshay Swani is a contributor to the Sports and News sections at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at ns9735@princeton.edu.
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