Jay Butler has been there.
Butler, the new Director of Strength and Conditioning for the college's athletic teams, draws on experience from his playing days with the New York Giants of the National Football League as well as a stint as an assistant coach of The University of East Carolina Pirates football team..
And, at a whopping 6'7" and 290 pounds, Butler looks like a guy who knows a thing or two about strength and conditioning.
Butler's training philosophy is simple.
"You need to stay on the kids," to get results, he said. According to Butler, in a conference like the Ivy Leagues there is little difference between teams in terms of the caliber of recruits or athletic facilities, and the margin between a winner and a loser often stems from simple, old-fashioned hard work.
"We try to outwork our opponents every day in the weight room," Butler said.
The Dartmouth football team's conditioning program consists of a combination of lifting in the weight room four days a week and general conditioning on off-days. Players have differing lifting and running workouts based on their specific position, according to Butler.
In his short time in Big Green territory-- Butler has only been working with the football team since June 24-- he has managed to win the respect of his players.
"They know I've been there. I've been to the pros. I speak from experience and they respect that," he said.
According to Dartmouth football Head Coach John Lyons, Butler has a different style and demeanor than Dartmouth's former strength and conditioning coach, Eric Lawson.
"Jay is more vocal than Eric was. He came in and established right from the start that he was the boss," Lyons said.
Lyons said he is happy with the way the team has taken to Butler's approach.
"It took a while to adjust, but now they have a lot of confidence in what Jay is telling them," he said.
Players on the team agree.
"At first I think the team was a little surprised and timid about the workout, but we've eased into it nicely," all-Ivy safety Lloyd Lee '98 said.
"I think [he] has added a lot of intensity and enthusiasm in the weight room," he said.
While at East Carolina University, where Butler was first a graduate assistant and then an assistant coach of the football team, Butler also earned his Masters in Business Administration.
Butler said he thinks an MBA prepares him for his job here at Dartmouth more than any degree in exercise physiology might, because of the various responsibilities his new job requires.
Besides working out with the football team, Butler will also work with other athletic teams during the course of their seasons, while at the same time managing the college's weight training facilities.
Butler, a graduate of Bucknell University with a degree in mechanical engineering, was also an All-American offensive tackle for Bucknell. After his graduation, the towering lineman signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent.
The Hilsborough, New Jersey native suited up for the Giants during the 1991 season, but saw little action due to a serious knee injury that eventually ended his professional football career. After leaving the Giants, Butler played a year for the Montreal Machine of the World League of Professional Football.
Butler remembers his time with the Giants fondly.
"When I was with the Giants, that was the top of the world. The intensity level was so high," he said.
After finally hanging up his cleats for good, Butler was offered a job as a graduate assistant at The University of East Carolina by an old coach of his who had just accepted a job at the college.
Butler replaces Eric Lawson, who resigned in March as Dartmouth's strength and conditioning coach after being offered a job to work with the U.S. Olympic team at their training facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Butler, who recently married, isn't looking too far into the distant future with his career in football.
"I love football. I don't know where I'll be in the future. I'm happy right where I am," he said. And with the Big Green Gridders poised as strong contenders for the Ivy League Crown in 1996, the players are happy right where Butler is as well.
