Jilly Mehlman, Senior Photograher

One catch for six yards. It’s not the type of statline that will lead SportsCenter on ESPN or have fantasy football managers rush to make trades for, but that’s missing the point. Mason Tipton ’24 had one catch for six yards in his NFL debut for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, something few thought would happen. 

Tipton’s career at Yale stands as one of the best a wideout has ever had for the Bulldogs, highlighted by a stellar senior season. He racked up 786 yards on 52 catches with 10 touchdowns. Despite that, the unanimous first team All-Ivy player was not projected by nearly anyone to make the roster, but he found out an important thing quickly.

“Football is football man,” Tipton told the News. “Once I was able to get a couple OTA practices in and see that this really is just football, it was very easy for me to get adjusted and play my game.”

After running a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at his Yale Pro Day, Tipton’s blazing speed immediately stood out for the Saints coaches and stories began circulating of an undrafted Ivy Leaguer making waves at practice. 

Unfortunately, after impressing early in training camp, the Eli suffered a hamstring injury that limited him and kept him from playing in any of the team’s three preseason games. When many thought that would spell the end of his time in the big leagues, New Orleans Head Coach Dennis Allen still liked what he was able to see.

“I think he’s got the skill set,” Allen said to the press. “He’s a smaller player, but he’s got some real good quickness and he’s a savvy route runner. He’s got some football awareness, and so I think he understands kind of how to play the position.”

With that high praise from his coach, when the 53-man roster for the Saints was announced, Tipton was on it. 

Then, in his first game, Tipton saw real playing time. The former Bulldog played 17 snaps and then, on his only target of the day, caught a six-yard pass from quarterback Derek Carr. 

Asked about the difference between the Ivy League and the NFL, Tipton repeated what seems to be an oncoming catchphrase of sorts: “football is football.” 

“I think the biggest difference from the league to the Ivy League, I think, is really just size,” Tipton said. “There’s some bigger bodies, especially the front seven — those guys are definitely some of the biggest, fastest guys I’ve seen.”

While making the change to playing against those bigger bodies is sure to have taken a second, Tipton showed that size really does not matter in his college days. 

The listed 5’11” and 187-pound wide receiver put up huge numbers in college and can be found all throughout the Yale record books. Tipton currently ranks third in career touchdown catches, fifth in career receptions and sixth in career receiving yards in Bulldogs history. 

“Mason Tipton is an absolute steal for the New Orleans Saints,” Yale Head Coach Tony Reno said to Yale Athletics. Reno could not be reached for comment on this story. “He was an impact player on an Ivy championship team in 2019 and has dominated the league since that season. His relentless work ethic and leadership combined with his physical ability make him the amazing player he is today. We are so proud of him and excited for his future in the NFL with the Saints.”

Reno isn’t the only Eli rooting for Tipton to succeed though, as he joins a group of four former Bulldogs in the NFL. His Yale classmate, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie ’24, was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, while safety Rodney Thomas II ’22 enters his third season with the Indianapolis Colts.

The cream of the crop for Yalies in the NFL is Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun ’18, who led the NFL in tackles in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Despite his success at the higher level and a recent three-year $45 million contract extension, Tipton made sure to point out how much of a support the veteran has been for him. 

“I’ve talked to Foye a lot,” Tipton said. “Foye’s been somebody that’s been huge as far as giving me some game and giving me some of his tips from his experience in the league.”

Beyond Oluokun, Tipton also mentioned the importance he has placed on learning from the other wide receivers on the Saints, such as Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, and his veteran quarterback Carr. 

Bulldogs fans can next see Tipton in NFL action at 1 p.m. on Sunday when the New Orleans Saints take on the Dallas Cowboys.