There should be nothing especially extraordinary about Joe Tosone '93 or Dennis Durkin '93. They're just two seniors within a few weeks of graduation, looking for a job. It just so happens that they will wear cleats and sweats, not loafers and suits, for their job interviews.
Tosone, an All-Ivy centerfielder and Captain of the baseball team, recently had a try-out with the Montreal Expos and hopes to be picked in the late rounds of the upcoming Major League baseball draft. Durkin, an All-Ivy place kicker and Associated Press All-America selection, was invited to the Houston Oilers training camp in July.
Durkin admits his chances of signing with the Oilers are fairly slim. Tosone may not be drafted - no other teams besides the Expos have taken a look at him - but he stands a good chance at being offered a free agent contract.
Both have options if their try-outs fall through. Durkin would head to Nevada to kick with a man he calls a "kicking guru" who holds a camp that attracts a number of NFL scouts.
"He brings in about twenty kickers a year," Durkin said. "This year he had 15 of them signed."
Tosone would try to attract the eyes of scouts at the Fenway All-Star Game, a game that includes the top players in New England. As an All-Ivy selection, Tosone stands a good chance at being chosen to play in the game.
Tosone impresses Expos
As for playing in Montreal's farm system, Tosone said, "Basically, they've told me, 'You'll sign for peanuts and we'll give you a plane ticket.'"
Tosone tried out in front of Bob Johnson, the Expos' top scout for the Northeast region, at Red Rolfe Field last week.
"I was nervous, but it went OK," Tosone said.
Johnson liked Tosone's speed, a 6.78 in the 60-yard dash (6.8 is considered fast), and his fielding, but not his arm strength from center. Tosone took batting practice with a wooden bat and impressed Johnson with his hand speed and strength.
Tosone's cause is also helped by the eye-catching numbers he put up this year for the Big Green. In 33 games, he batted .379, scored 34 runs, belted seven doubles and six triples, stole 15 bases in 18 tries, and had a .479 on-base percentage, all of which make him an ideal leadoff hitter.
Beyond getting a contract with the Expos or a strong showing at the Fenway All-Star game, Tosone faces limited opportunities to break into professional baseball.
"If I don't get a contract somewhere, the only chance I would have would be to go to one of these try-outs where you have 300 kids and only one scout, and the scout can only offer one contract." Tosone said. "If that were the case, it would be time to use my education and get on with life. I'm fairly confident something will work out. Let's just cross our fingers."
Durkin guns for NFL
Durkin is one of four kickers invited to the Oilers camp. Al Del Greco, a journeyman kicker who has booted for several NFL teams including the Oilers last year, is number one on the depth charts and will join Carlos Huerta, a kicker who graduated from the University of Miami a year ago and did not catch on with any team last season, and another kicker from North Carolina.
"It's a pretty good opportunity," Durkin said. "Del Greco had a pretty shaky season last year. They probably view Huerta as the number one contender, but he didn't get established anywhere last year, so it's pretty much wide open."
Durkin garnered a host of honors after a senior season where he converted all 13 field goal attempts and 41 of 43 extra-point tries, yet his flashy stats did not generate a great deal of interest among NFL teams.
"I think a lot of it comes from being in Hanover, New Hampshire," he said. "The NFL has a rule that says if they want to look at someone, it has to be within thirty miles of where [the prospect] lives. For most kids who go to school near a large city, that's no problem because a coach can fly in an see 15 or 20 guys."
There also might be reservations among teams about his kickoff ability - Durkin has been a bit erratic at times over his career - and a junior season where he hit just eight of 15 field goals after a brilliant sophomore campaign.
"I came in sophomore year with no expectations and had a great season," Durkin said. "Junior season they moved the uprights in. You would think it wouldn't be a problem because I'm trying to kick it down the middle anyway, but it really did end up being a problem. After I missed a few it just kind of snowballed and I lost my confidence . . . Sophomore year I was third-team All-American and first team All-Ivy, junior year I was all-nothing."
Canadian football is also an option for Durkin now that the league has added two American-based teams in Sacramento and San Antonio that do not have limits on the number of non-Canadian players on their roster. Previously, teams would have been hesitant to fill up one of its foreign spots with a kicker.
"There are a lot of great kickers floating around the league right now," Durkin said. "It's almost like teams don't worry about their kickers because if their kicker chokes they can always find another one. I just need to break the bubble."
