Adjusting to Change Helps Haas Catch on in College

Dylan Haas entered college having heard plenty about the adjustment he was going to have to make.

It’s the same adjustment hundreds of athletes from Westchester make each year. And the 2009 Somers High School graduate was no different.

There was balancing schoolwork with sports – not to mention practicing with and playing against athletes who are bigger, stronger and faster.

Haas, now a junior at Tufts University, seemed like he had conquered those challenges after a successful freshman year. He started it ready for almost anything.

“Coming into Tufts, I didn’t know whether I would play offense or defense until the day I showed up when I saw a defensive jersey,” he said.

Soon, another change came about.

After entering preseason camp last year in contention for a starting spot on defense at cornerback, an unlikely scenario quickly played out. It resulted in Haas ending the season as the Jumbos’ leading receiver.

The position switch came about after a rash of injuries forced the coaching staff to make several shifts.

“For me, the transition from defense to offense was well worth it and was a much more smooth transition than I expected,” Haas said. He explained that during preseason of his sophomore year, the team’s offense had “switched to a full spread, and a couple of senior running backs had gone down” with injuries, leaving only freshmen.

“The coach went back to high school films to see who had potential at offense and I was originally switched to running back,” he said. “It wasn’t until after our preseason scrimmage in which I had to fill in for an injured slot receiver that I got moved to receiver, and got my first start in week two.”

“Physically, I felt much more comfortable on offense at receiver than at defensive back immediately and I took advantage of the opportunities I was given.”

That included a game against Bowdoin in which he had nine receptions for 138 yards. This season, through three games, Haas has 16 catches for 197 yards.

“The offense is much more complex and dynamic than last year and allows the team to do much more offensively,” Haas said. “This year I also had the advantage of knowing I was a wide-out during the offseason and worked on my routes and catching the ball all summer, probably catching at least 250 balls a week.”

After last football season, Haas had one more adjustment to make. He joined the Jumbos’ lacrosse team, and appeared in all 21 games as a midfielder, helping Tufts make its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III title game.

“I feel extremely lucky to be able to play both lax and football at the college level,” he said. “It would have been a dream of mine and most people to play either.”

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