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In the northeastern region of the United States reside some of the most distinguished academic institutions in the world. Aside from the elite research capabilities they possess, these schools have been responsible for producing prominent figures and important leaders throughout our nation's history. These universities belong to the Ivy League.
The Ivy League is a conference of eight schools that have been playing intercollegiate football for more than 150 years. These programs have a rich college football history, dating back to the origins of our sport. Ivy League history and college football history were synonymous in the early years of the game.
Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at all eight Ivy League teams. We will dive deeper into each school's traditions and memorable seasons, as well as notable players and coaches from their past. We will also look back at 2023 results and preview the 2024 season.
Brown University Bears
First up in our Ivy League series is Brown University in Providence, R.I. The Bears are led by Brown alum and former quarterback James Perry. In five seasons, Perry is 12-28, with a 6-22 Ivy League record. Prior to becoming Brown's 20th head football coach, Perry was the coach for two seasons at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.
Perry has spent the majority of his assistant coaching career in the Ivy League, with a combined 16 years between Dartmouth, Princeton and Brown. Other stops for Perry included a graduate assistantship at Maryland under Ralph Friedgen from 2004 to 2005. As a player for the Bears, Perry won the Bushnell Cup in 1999 as the Ivy League's best offensive player. That same season he was voted Ivy League Player of the Year as the Bears went 9-1 and won a share of the Ivy League championship.
Phil Estes was the man in charge for the Bears before Perry took over in 2019. Estes was hired by Brown in 1998 and brought the Bears three Ivy League championships. His best season was 2005, as Brown went 9-1 and won the Ivy League championship outright. He stepped down following the 2018 season after the Bears capped off their second consecutive season without a win in Ivy League play.
History
Compared to its counterparts in the Ivy League, Brown is a young football program. The first football game in its history was in 1878, a loss against Amherst College. Brown only played a handful of games over the next decade, mostly in losing efforts. In the 1887 and 1888 seasons, Brown did not play football at all, which led a young lineman by the name of John Heisman to leave the school and enroll at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1915 and 1916, the Bears elevated their program to new heights behind legendary halfback Fritz Pollard. Following the 1915 season, Brown played in the Rose Bowl against Washington State. To date, this is still Brown's only appearance in a bowl game. In 1916, Pollard led the team to an 8-1 record and the school's first-ever victory against Harvard.
Notable Alumni
Brown football has a legacy of players and coaches who became college football legends. Pollard is worth another mention here. After his success at Brown, Pollard became one of the NFL's first African American players and the league's first African American head coach. Pollard was a Walter Camp All-American at Brown and was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. As a collegiate head coach, he compiled a 10-2-1 overall record in three seasons at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
Other names associated with the Brown program include Wallace Wade, who played guard for the Bears from 1914 to 1916. Wade went on to have tremendous success as a head coach at both Alabama and Duke. After leading the Crimson Tide to the Rose Bowl in 1926, Wade became the first person in history to have been both a player and a coach in the Rose Bowl. Wade was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Both Joe Paterno (1950) and Bill O'Brien (1993) are former Brown football players. Paterno famously led the Penn State Nittany Lions as the head coach from 1966 until 2011. O'Brien took over that role at Penn State in 2012 after the Jerry Sandusky scandal forced Paterno to resign.
One of the more successful NFL players from Brown is fullback James Develin, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. Develin played on the defensive line while at Brown from 2006 to 2009, being named second-team All-Ivy in his sophomore and junior seasons.
Develin went undrafted after college, playing in the Arena Football League and United Football League for a year. After converting to fullback, Develin signed a practice squad contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was from 2010 to 2012. He joined the Patriots in 2012 and played the rest of his career with the team, retiring from football in 2020. Develin scored five career rushing touchdowns and was named a Pro-Bowler in 2017.
Currently, the lone Brown Bear in the NFL is Michael Hoecht, a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams. Hoecht played at Brown from 2016 to 2019, signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After spending his first season on the practice squad, Hoecht made the 53-man roster in 2021. In 2023, he started every game and finished with 81 tackles (including 7 tackles for loss) and a forced fumble.
Rivalries
Brown's primary rivalry is with the Rhode Island Rams, an in-state foe. The Bears have been playing URI annually since 1909, with a few exceptions. Since 1981, the winner of this game has been awarded the Governor's Cup. Brown has dominated the rivalry, historically, with a 40-game lead in the series. The Rams have won six out of the last seven games however, including five in a row.
Last year's result was an exciting back-and-forth matchup that the rivalry had been missing over the past few games. Brown outgained a ranked Rhode Island team by almost 50 yards and had the Rams on the ropes. Down by four with under a minute to go, the Bears had possession of the football with a chance to take the lead until a Rhode Island interception effectively ended their comeback efforts.
Uniforms
The school's primary colors are seal brown and cardinal red. The Bears uniforms will typically sport a classic Ivy League look, including a bold block letter "B" on the helmets. Brown also has an alternate helmet design featuring the bear mascot on the right side, opposite the block lettering. The Bears have looked sharp in the all-brown and all-white uniform combinations in recent years.
2023 Season Review
The Bears finished 2023 with a 5-5 overall record, going 3-4 in the Ivy League. Despite the losses, Brown was very competitive throughout the season and played in several tightly contested games. Four of their five wins as well as two of their losses were single-score games. Wins at home against Princeton and on the road versus Columbia came in overtime.
The Bears' season started off with fireworks as they faced the Bryant Bulldogs, coach Perry's former team. Brown took the lead with only seconds remaining after quarterback Jake Willcox hit tight end Dillon Golden for a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
2024 Season Outlook and Schedule
The Bears will look to continue their slow but steady upward trajectory in 2024. This year's squad will return its leader and fifth-year senior QB Willcox, who was a Walter Payton Award finalist in 2023. Willcox threw for over 2,800 yards to go along with 17 TDs last season.
First up for the Bears is a road matchup on Sept. 21 against Georgetown. Their first game back home on Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium will be the following week against an Ivy League foe in the Harvard Crimson. Then the Bears will look to break a five-year losing streak in their annual rivalry game with Rhode Island scheduled for Oct. 12. And, in the rematch of an epic overtime thriller in 2023, this season's game against Princeton will air on Friday night prime time Oct. 18 on ESPNU.
Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs throughout the 2024 season for more coverage of your favorite Ivy League teams!
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