For Yale’s Strother, The Game, The Match are ‘perfect storm’

NEW HAVEN — The initial call from Be The Match headquarters in Minneapolis came in September. Sterling Strother had been this far once before with the national bone marrow donation program in 2018.

“I had just torn my MCL, so I couldn’t go into the process at that time,” Strother said Monday afternoon. “I called them back two months later. They said they’d found a better match.

“So, of course, I was excited this September, but I know how rare it is to be a perfect match. I did the extra testing and then it had kind of slipped my mind a little. I figured since I wasn’t getting another call, they had found someone else.”

They hadn’t. The decorated senior center of the Yale offensive line got another call from Be The Match a week ago. He is a match. He is needed. Strother’s procedure will be the second week in December, most likely in New Jersey.

“It’s an incredible privilege, the biggest one you could ever imagine,” Strother said. “And it’s pretty cool to be juxtaposed with The Game, the biggest sporting event I’ve ever played in and one of the coolest days of my life. To be able to turn around and be able to help someone else who needs it is even more special. Football is incredible and a big part of my life, but there is nothing more fulfilling than an opportunity like this.”

Although Strother knows the general demographic information of his recipient, confidentiality policies do not allow contact between donor and recipient for a year. Sometimes anonymous contact is allowed before a year. Marrow transplants are used to treat several diseases, anemia, immune deficiency and various cancers, including leukemia.

“Knowing the person will get the treatment they need is all I need to know,” Strother said. “It would be awesome to find out who they are one day. If not, knowing they are doing alright is more than enough for me.”

Strother had gotten involved with Be The Match as a freshman. He did the cheek swab. With the Mandi Schwartz Marrow Donor Registration Drive and with Larry Ciotti a driving force at Yale, the school has become a centerpiece for the national donor program. Schwartz, who died in April 2011 after a 21⁄2year fight with acute myeloid leukemia, is a source of inspiration and several teams at Yale have become involved. Strother is the second football player in the senior class, joining receiver Garrett White, to find a match.

He has also helped since his sophomore year with organizing the teams and the logistics of the annual drive at Yale.

So how’s this for an itinerary?

Beat Harvard on Saturday at Yale Bowl.

Win a share of the Ivy League title.

Save a life a couple of weeks later.

How cool is that?

“It’s all things I hold incredibly near to my heart,” Strother said. “None of it is a burden. This is my perfect storm going on.”

WHAT’S WORKING

The defense continues to rank among the NFL’s alltime best.

The Patriots have allowed 108 points through 10 games, which would put them on pace for 173 in a full season. The NFL record for a 16game season was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who allowed 165 points. The New England defense has only allowed nine touchdowns; the fewest in a 16game season were the 16 allowed by the 1986 Bears and the 2000 Ravens.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The offensive line strug

gled to protect Brady, who had was held without a running or passing touchdown for just the second time this season. He was sacked once and hit six times.

New England wasn’t able to run the ball, either, gaining 74 yards on 22 carries, an average of 3.4 yards per attempt.

KEY NUMBER

19: The Patriots have clinched their 19th winning season in a row, second in NFL history only to Dallas (196685). Only the Pittsburgh Steelers (36) have had more seasons above .500 since the 1970 AFLNFL merger than New England (34).

STOCK UP

Jake Bailey punted eight times for an average of 47.6 yards, with six of the kicks pinning Philadelphia inside its 20.

“Jake’s had a great year for us and he continues to come in with some really big plays there,” Belichick said.

Also, the kicking game seems to have stabilized after losing longtime placekicker Stephen Gostkowski to a hip injury in Week 4. After Mike Nugent converted 5 of 8 field goal attempts in four games, Nick Folk has made every kick in the last two games: all five field goals and both extra points.

He connected on 35, 22, and 39yard field goals against Philadelphia.

STOCK DOWN

The offense was 5 for 16 on third downs and scored just one touchdown on three trips inside the 20. The Patriots started near midfield three times and only managed one field goal on those drives, punting on backtoback possessions after starting at their 48 in the third quarter.

INJURIES

Receiver Phillip Dorsett left the game with a head injury and did not return, a loss to the already thin receiving corps. Rookie N’Keal Harry made his debut and had three catches for 18 yards.

Left tackle Isaiah Wynn is eligible to come off injured reserve.

NEXT STEPS

The Patriots host Dallas (64) on Sunday.