.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Front Of The Line
October 11, 2009 | Football
(this first appeared in the 10/3 Princeton Athletic News)
At Princeton, chemistry is far more than just a major.
At least to a trio of seniors looking to bookend their collegiate careers with Ivy League championships, chemistry is the intangible that will ideally enhance all the physical and mental development over four years. It is the bond that will make sure the total of J.P. Makrai, Andrew Hauser and Marc Daou is greater than the sum of the parts.
By trade, offensive linemen rarely get the respect they deserve. Somehow, this senior trio has actually managed to get even less than normal. Because a fourth member of the class, Mark Paski, has started every game of his career and is an offensive co-captain, he has become the face of the line (as well as that day's game program); that being said, each of the four plays just as important a role in the Ivy League championship chase beginning today.
And two of them played a big role in that same chase three years ago.
Makrai may have not started every game of the 2006 championship season, but he started more than half of them. He was there when Princeton defeated Harvard and Penn in home thrillers, and he was there at the Yale Bowl when it took a near-perfect second half to rally past the Bulldogs for a thrilling 34-31 victory.
His first start was a home win over Brown, a game televised live on ESPNU and a win that really solidified Princeton as a title contender.
“Throughout the week I was still unsure whether I was going to start or not,” Makrai remembered. “On Friday, when I did find out that I was starting, the feeling of panic set in. We were potentially in the chase for the championship. I don't know if I've felt anything like that before. In the locker room I was doing everything I could do to keep from being sick. I didn't want to let my teammates down. I didn't want to let myself down either.”
Makrai helped Princeton push towards that showdown with Yale, when the Tigers seemed to be constantly battling uphill after the Bulldogs scored 28 first-half points. Joining Makrai and Paski in that push was Hauser, who took over after left tackle Brendon Swisher suffered a mid-game injury.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure to perform during my freshman year,” Hauser said. “Some of the older guys like Jake Marshall were pretty scary and we could tell that winning a championship meant a lot to all of the seniors so we definitely didn't want to mess it up. Luckily our patchwork line held up through the end of the season.”
Both earned starting positions the next season; Daou joined them at the guard position. The younger brother of former Princeton lineman Paul Daou, Marc's season was a short one that ended with injury.
“Paul taught me how to work hard and how to really push myself to strive towards reaching my maximum potential as a football player,” said the younger Daou brother. “After getting a taste of some action and the field and being forced to sit out due to an injury I knew I had to dedicate myself to doing whatever it took to getting back on the field and contributing to the program as soon as I could. But more than anything the motivation to improve and dedicate myself to become a better football player came from a desire to work hard and strive to reach my highest potential as a player.”
Daou's work ethic got him back on the field for all 10 games last season; he joined Makrai and Hauser on a line that paved the way for a historic season by running back Jordan Culbreath, who won the Ivy rushing title and averaged more than 120 yards per game.
“I think the line took great pride in my numbers from last year, and if not, they definitely should have,” Culbreath said. “The offense lives and dies by its offensive line, and that's something that a lot of people don't understand. I try to congratulate them as much as possible, because I don't feel that they receive the credit they deserve.”
As their playing time together grew, so did the chemistry on the line. More than any other position, a single breakdown or missed communication will undermine anything else that goes right. But that bond extends far beyond the field; the four senior starters all live together this season, and their chemistry is as strong as any other set of position mates.
“With all of us living together, our conversations usually have surprisingly little to do with football,” Hauser said. “While it's always on our minds and it's obviously very important to us all, I think we all do a good job of confining our football discussions to the meeting room, locker room and on the field. In our room, we talk about the really important stuff like video games, girlfriends, and the human enigma named Marc Daou.”
That closeness allows the four of them to be absolutely accountable to each other. Any mistake will get noticed and brutalized during film sessions; position coach Adam Hollis has had to replay missed blocks numerous times while the group takes dig after dig at their target.
But Hollis knows that when it is time to get serious, he has a group he can rely on. They each have their own strengths that complement each other and combine to make the line all the better.
“J.P. is one of the most competitive people I have ever been around,” Hollis said. “He is my wildcat; he has more of a linebacker mentality, and I know I'll never have to make sure he is up for a game. Andrew is tough, smart and physical in a quiet way. His football IQ is off the charts. Nothing has come easy for Marc, but you need guys like him on your team. You need somebody who is willing to do whatever it takes to earn a starting role and than succeed in that.”
Now in their final season, the trio is relying on a sophomore quarterback to help them on the journey to an Ivy League championship. They have adopted a big brother approach to Tommy Wornham and seem ready to do whatever it takes to keep him in position to make plays.
If he does, the role of Makrai, Hauser and Daou will long be forgotten by most. They'd happily trade that for one more championship ring.