Kyle Juszczyk grew up in Ohio a Jets fan playing in the backyard and dreaming the NFL dream with his older brothers, Sean and Brandon, and all these years later, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl fullback burns to survive against the Rams on Sunday and get to another Super Bowl and win one for himself and for Harvard.
“I think it would mean a lot in two different ways,” the man they call Juice told The Post. “I think for the school, I think anytime that we can get recognition for what we do on the field and not exactly always about what we’re doing in the classroom, I think it really just adds to the versatility of the student population there. It really does show that it’s not just a school strictly of perfect SATs and brainiacs and people who spend all day in a classroom and stuff, it really is a diverse population of people that can be successful really in any field.
“And so I think to add another Super Bowl winner to that goes further to prove that, and really show that it’s a unique population and we can really do some special stuff.”
Four former Harvard Crimson players — John Dockery, Jamil Soriano, Matt Birk and Cameron Brate — have captured Super Bowl rings. Brate winning Super Bowl LV with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers has only fueled Juice’s fire.
“Cam and I played together for three years, and so we have a great relationship.” Juice said. “I was so happy for him to have that experience and be able to feel it. What he described is just something that you can’t even put into words.
“If anything, seeing him go out and win one just motivated me even more to want to get one myself.”
Juice had a chance to get one two years ago, but Patrick Mahomes shattered his Super Bowl LIV dream.
“It took a long time, and realistically I don’t know if I’ll ever be over it ’cause it’s just a missed opportunity,” Juice said. “Those ones are gonna sting even if I go on and win the next four Super Bowls, I wish I had five, you know? It was a depressing couple weeks, which I think is just part of the grieving process.”
From Harvard to the Super Bowl one more time perhaps.
“I feel like I am always trying to prove that I belong here,” Juice said. “I’m a fourth-round pick out of Harvard, a fullback, and all three of those distinctions I feel like kinda put a chip on my shoulder. The fullback position catches a lot of heat, and the fact that I came from Harvard is always something that I feel like I have to prove myself in the athletic community. I think what really does drive me is being able to prove people wrong and show people that I belong here.”
Oh, he belongs, all right. He is a six-time Pro Bowler even though he was forced to make a transition from tight end.
“I just wanted to make it to the NFL by any means necessary,” Juice said.
He made it with the Ravens and then he made himself into the highest-paid fullback (five years, $27 million) in the game before the season.
“I try to combine grittiness with my intelligence,” Juice said. “Honestly that goes back to even before I was at Harvard. I never wanted to get too up or too down during a game, because I always felt like a strength of mine was my calmness and my ability to make good decisions under stress, under pressure and to make those decisions quickly.”
Juice, who goes 6-foot-1, 236 pounds, carries the banner for all fullbacks.
“I do everything in my power to show that this position is alive and well and can be a major contributor to potent offenses,” he said. “It’s not three yards and a cloud of dust. This position can be used in a very explosive offense like our own and can be asked to do a lot of different things. I take pride In doing that.”
Indeed, Juice (229 career receptions, 13 receiving TDs) can line up virtually anywhere for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
“He really is the perfect coach for me,” Juice said, “because he asks me to do things he’s never seen me do. But he has a vision for it. He can picture what it’ll look like, and he trusts me to do those things.”
Juice has been impressed with how Jimmy Garoppolo has handled the drafting of Quarterback of the Future Trey Lance.
“It truly has made him just a better quarterback,” he said. “It’s motivated him, it’s driven him and it’s pushed him a little bit harder. I think he’s responded great and has been such a leader throughout this whole process, a guy that we can trust, a guy that we can lean on and just have 100 per cent confidence in. When Jimmy steps into that huddle, man, he elevates everybody in there, and he exudes confidence, and it’s a trickle-down effect.”
The 49ers are looking to beat the Rams for the third time this season.
“I just love our mentality, and how selfless everybody is … everybody gives it up for one another,” Juice said.
49ers versus Rams will be a test of wills.
“No doubt about it,” Juice said. “This is a game that we’re gonna have to play a full four quarters, and five if we need it, and we just have to execute at our absolute highest.”
The way he did for coach Tim Murphy at Harvard, where he was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Ivy — and 2011 undefeated Ivy League champion.
“The Harvard-Yale games are always extremely special ’cause by far our biggest games every year, the stadiums are always packed to max capacity, it’s a wild game-day atmosphere,” Juice said. “It’s always the last game no matter what. That’s our Super Bowl. To be able to hold up that trophy after the game, and to celebrate with my teammates that night, going all around campus bringing the trophy with us, those are times I’ll never ever forget.”
The kid from Harvard is more than ready for a Super memory he’ll never ever forget.