Print Edition of the Irish Insider of The Observer for Friday, November 18, 2016

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INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

COMMENTARY

RECRUITING

Future looks bright for current Irish core Renee Griffin Sports Writer

Notre Dame seniors will be honored before the game Saturday for their last time playing in Notre Dame Stadium. After that, though, all eyes should be on the players who represent the program’s future rather than its past.

This season is approaching its merciful end, and the best-case scenario — and an unlikely one — for the Irish is that they win out, finishing 6-6 with a chance at a half-decent bowl game sponsored by a company with a satire-ready name.

In 2017, on the other hand, Notre Dame is 0-0 with a lot of promise — forgetting for a moment, of course, that the squad had an abundance of promise heading into this fall, too.

43 of the 61 players on the Irish depth chart have at least two years of eligibility remaining. The underclassmen have come a long way since they were thrown into the fire early in the season, and that extra playing time can only help in the long run — a silver lining to 2016’s disappointments.

Those younger players have become some of the team’s most important playmakers this year, too. Top touchdown target

and sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown will be around, whether he’s catching passes from DeShone Kizer, Brandon Wimbush or Malik Zaire.

The same goes for will kickoff returner and sophomore receiver C.J. Sanders.

Freshman deep-threat receiver Kevin Stepherson can only get better. Sophomore running backs Josh Adams and Dexter Williams will continue to bring energy and yardage to the ground game.

The youth and promise of the defense stands out even more, particularly when compared to the uncertainty and instability that plagued it before — and for some time after — the firing of coordinator Brian VanGorder.

Freshman Devin Studstill has done an admirable job taking over at free safety for graduate student Avery Sebastian, who started in the season opener.

Sophomore Nicco Fertitta is his backup, and freshman Jalen Elliot backs up junior Drue Tranquill at strong safety.

Freshman cornerback Julian Love hauled in his first career interception against Army, and it almost certainly will not be his last.

Cornerback Donte Vaughn, Love’s classmate, also has an interception this year,

plus six pass breakups.

Though senior Cole Luke will depart, sophomore Shaun Crawford will come back from injury to bolster the corner corps that also includes freshman Troy Pride Jr., who Brian Kelly has praised more than once this season.

The defensive line and linebacker units are the oldest on the Irish defense, and even they will lose few starters. Moreover, freshmen like Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara and Jamir Jones — the backup to senior James Onwualu — have had plenty of time to get acclimated before their services are truly necessary.

All told, freshmen and sophomores accounted for 321 all-purpose yards against Army — including returns by Sanders and sophomore Chris Finke — as well as 23 tackles and an interception on defense.

That 44-6 rout was, potentially, a sneak peek at what 2017 could bring. A win against a very good Virginia Tech squad would make prospects for next year that much brighter — and a road upset of a USC team on a roll would mean even more.

Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish sophomore receiver C.J. Sanders returns a kickoff during Notre Dame’s 28-27 loss to Navy on Nov. 5 at EverBank Field. Sanders returned the opening kickoff against Army on Nov. 12 for a touchdown.

‘Good’ recruiting class failing to live up to potential

By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Managing Editor

To classif y Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2017 as a disappointment is only a relative way of looking at the future of the Irish program, according to Blue and Gold recruiting analyst Bryan Driskell.

“I think this recruiting class is going to ultimately be viewed like the season, which is a disappointment and a missed opportunity,” Driskell said. “ … This is still a good recruiting class even if they don’t add another guy, but I think the frustration is had Notre Dame had the kind of season they were capable of, and the kind of season they should have, this could have been an elite class. This could have been a class that could have competed for top 5. W hen you look at the fact that they were able to get so many kids on board early, they were in a perfect position to just go after some bigtime players an d close this class off with some real impact talent.”

That’s not to say Notre Dame is done adding players, Driskell pointed out, looking to recruits like Rivals fourstars cornerback Thomas Graham out of Rancho Cucamonga, California, and defensive end Joshua Paschal out of Olney, Maryland.

“I think, at this point in time, they’re just looking to add impact players at every position except offensive line,” Driskell said. “And those two guys would be that type of player.”

The offensive line is one area of concern for Notre Dame, not because of a lack of talent but rather from “a numbers standpoint,” according to Driskell.

“Right now, they’ve landed three offensive lineman [Rivals four-stars Robert Hainsey and Joshua Lugg as well as three-star Dillan Gibbons], and I think all three are good players,” Driskell said. “ … Those are three talented kids, and they landed three talented kids last year and then the year before, they landed two talented kids. So all the kids they’re bringing in are good players who can start at Notre Dame — the problem is their numbers have always been short.”

Driskell expressed similar sentiments about the edge of the Irish defensive

line, secondary and receiving corps, emphasizing the talent is all there; there just isn’t a lot of depth still.

However, the Irish are more than set at tight end, Driskell said. Between Brock Wright and Cole Kmet, both of whom have been committed to Notre Dame since 2015, the Irish have the topand third-rated players at that position. Driskell called tight end a “huge strength” of this class, one that could make an immediate impact, especially Wright. “[Wright is] more of an in-line blocker, more of an old-school tight end, and he would really fit well with a guy like Alize Jones and then Nic Weishar, guys who are more pass catchers first,” Driskell said. “He could be a really good complement to them.”

Darnell Ewell, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle could also make an immediate impact, according to Driskell. “[Ewell is] just a huge kid,” Driskell said. “He’s very strong. He’s physically ready to play as a freshman which not many linemen are. He’s a guy I think could come in right away and provide some early playing time.”

Driskell said the other main strength of this class is the trio of linebackers — fourstars Pete Werner and David Adams along with three-star Drew W hite — that has committed to Notre Dame.

“I know the staff really loves the linebacking corps that they’re bringing in next year,” Driskell said. “I think those [tight end and linebacker] are probably the two top strengths in this class right now. There are some other areas that are good, but those are the two you can point to and say, ‘That’s darn impressive.’”

Driskell even said all the adversity the team has gone through on the field this season has motivated the class of 2017 even before any of them have officially enrolled.

“In a weird way, it’s solidified their resolve — it’s strengthened their resolve as a class to say, ‘Hey, we’re not going to jump ship,’” Driskell said. “‘We’re going to stick through it, we’re going to come in, and we’re going to get this thing turned around.’”

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

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TORII HUNTER JR. | WR | PROSPER, TEXAS

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By MAREK MAZUREK Sports Editor

Torii Hunter Jr. loved playing baseball growing up.

He played all through high school and was drafted by a major-league team — just like he always dreamed.

“That was a childhood dream of mine,” Hunter said. “In high school, that’s what I thought I was going to do. I was going to play baseball and get drafted out of high school and all that stuff.”

Hunter’s father, Torii Hunter Sr., played baseball professionally for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers, and Hunter Jr. credits his father with supporting his athletic endeavors.

“He never really forced me to play baseball,” Hunter said. “I just played a lot of baseball growing up, just because I was around it, and that’s what I wanted to do. In any sport I was playing, he pushed me hard, whether it was basketball or football or baseball, no matter what it was. He was out there making me shoot 100 shots or making me catch 100 balls. He was always there working with me and he was there and no matter what I wanted to pursue, he was helping me get there.”

But that traditional narrative of a talented young athlete on the cusp of making it professionally doesn’t quite encompass Hunter’s journey.

“I got hurt,” Hunter said. “That route kinda got messed up.”

A broken left femur sidelined Hunter for his freshman year at Notre Dame, but the Texas native was not to be deterred.

Hunter was named Notre Dame’s Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year as a member of the football team. The following season, he earned the football team’s award for Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

“I always wanted to get back

there and fulfill that dream,” Hunter said. “I’m truly blessed to fulfill that dream and have that be on my path. I’m excited about it. It was a dream that I had in high school to be able to [play two sports]. To have those dreams fulfilled, it makes me feel good that I was able to get there.

I’m just excited about it. I’m glad I was able to achieve that goal.”

And four years later, Hunter finds himself not yet in the MLB, but a captain of the Notre Dame football team. Hunter said he was surprised when he was first named a captain, but he never doubted his ability.

“When I got the call and Coach Kelly called me into his office, I didn’t expect anything of it — I didn’t know it was coming so it caught me by surprise,” Hunter said. “But I knew I was a leader on the team; I was one of the older guys on the team. But when I got that call, I was surprised and excited and ready for the honor.

“I knew I had the ability to be a leader.”

Whether it’s hitting a 95 mileper-hour fastball or making a tough catch over the middle of the field or making a full recovery from a tough injury, Hunter said the key to his success stems from his fearless attitude. “[It’s] just being fearless,” Hunter said. “[It’s] being able to take on that wall that might be coming after you catch that baseball. That fearless attitude and that intensity that you bring to the game, you can also bring to the baseball field.”

On the football field, Hunter’s fearlessness is evident. In Notre Dame’s opening game of the year, Hunter suffered a concussion after a big hit in the end zone. The trainers rushed onto the field and if they had reached Hunter any slower, he may have gotten right back up and kept on playing. Against Navy two weeks ago, Hunter racked up 75 yards

and a touchdown in just the first quarter before taking another big hit and exiting the game. Just two possessions later, however, Hunter was back on the field, contributing as consistently as ever.

“I knew how to deal with [injury]. You have to attack it,” Hunter said. “Whether it’s rehab or whatever treatment they have you doing — you just try to attack and get back out there as soon as possible, to be with the brothers you keep grinding with since last year.”

Off the field in his role as a leader, Hunter says he learned that fearless attitude from the players and leaders who came before him, like Chris Brown and Will Fuller.

“Those guys ... always had a certain vibe about them,” Hunter said. “They were always ready to go out to practice, they always gave 100 percent on the field.

They were also real cool ... they never acted like they were on a pedestal. They were for the players — they would always joke around with everyone.

“I took on those roles. But the good thing about it is I didn’t have to act too differently. I could go out there and joke around, but also get work done and make sure everyone else is getting work done. That’s what I’m good at.

I just did what the guys did last year.”

Though a captain in his senior season with the Irish, Hunter said he never considered himself to be a vocal presence, but knew that when his number was called to lead, he would be ready.

“I was never a vocal guy, I was just always a guy that tried to take care of what I had to and lead by example,” Hunter said. “Here and there put in my two cents, but I was never really a vocal guy, but I knew my time would come, it just happened to be this year. I didn’t know if it would come sooner or

later, but I knew it would come.”

Hunter said it was a little difficult at first to get his fellow receivers to be fully prepared, but they soon grasped the message and the results are showing.

“It was definitely difficult in the beginning just trying to get everybody up to speed and get them to understand that [they] are going to be counted on this year,’” Hunter said. “‘Y’all will have to make some big plays. There’s no more time to redshirt — y’all are going to be thrown into the fire.’ … I know I have the most experience, but it’s not just going to be me. I don’t know who it is, but we need playmakers out there.”

So far, Hunter’s fire has paid off. Sophomore Equanimeous St. Brown has emerged as a star in the Irish receiving corps and freshman Kevin Stepherson isn’t far behind. St. Brown has nearly 800 receiving yards in the 2016 campaign and has developed a penchant for flipping into the endzone, while Stepherson is coming off of a 100-plus yard performance versus Army.

However, St. Brown and Stepherson inherit a tradition which Hunter is currently helping shape. Hunter said one of the things he admires about Notre Dame’s tradition is its continuity from year to year, player to player.

“It just lets you know that it’s greater than you, it’s bigger than you — that ‘C’ on your chest,” Hunter said. “You have a lot of people looking up to you, watching you, so you have to carry yourself differently than the average person. You always have to be that positive person, you always have to be that vocal person, because everybody is looking to you to lead because you have that ‘C’ on your chest. It also represents the guys who came before you — it’s our brotherhood. The guys that came before you, like Nick Martin, Sheldon Day, Jaylon Smith, all those guys — they did such a great job. We have shoes to fill every year. It’s a great honor to have it on my chest this season.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior receiver Torii Hunter Jr. looks to pick up more yards after a catch during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15.

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

JARRON JONES | DL | ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Nov. 4 edition of The Observer.

“It was awful.”

The date was August 14, 2015.

Notre Dame was in the middle of an 11-on-11 drill during a Friday practice before the season opener against Texas when one of the players in the drill fell and rolled up into the legs of a player standing on the side, resulting in a freak injury.

The player down? Then-senior defensive lineman Jarron Jones.

Following a 2014 season that ended with his suffering a Lisfranc injury and missing the final two games of the year, Jones missed all of spring practice. After months away from the game he loves, he finally found his way back on to the field and was gearing up for the 2015 season. But the torn MCL changed all that.

“I missed playing football — [sitting out the season] really showed me how much I love football because being without it was awful,” Jones said. “I found myself very down a lot just not being out there and sitting on the sideline, especially when guys were going through adverse situations. And then away games were even worse because I was watching the game on TV [since] I wasn’t able to travel, so having to deal with that was just a problem itself.”

But that didn’t keep the Rochester, New York, native down for long. Despite another lengthy recovery that would span several months, Jones continued to push himself as hard as possible to rejoin the Irish. And when he finally did return for the team’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State at the end of that season, Jones had learned a lot about himself.

“It just taught me to stay the path and not give up on myself,” Jones said. “And then it also taught me some things I didn’t know about myself. I was able to recover and

then come back. It took a while, but I’m still able to be the player I’m capable of being. So going through that and being disciplined enough to — there were times where I felt that I could do things I wasn’t supposed to do, but choosing not to and just having faith in my trainers and being disciplined, it taught me a lot. And now I’m back and better than ever.”

That learning process matured Jones. He graduated that spring and would be able to spend his final year of eligibility focusing on and devoting himself to the thing he loved most: football. And the difference that made wasn’t lost on those watching him come to work day in and day out, as they have seen him take his play to the next level.

“I think more than anything else it’s the consistency that he’s lacked that he’s bringing to his preparation,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said of Jones. “[He’s] a lot more focused in the way he comes to practice. … He’s much more mature and professional in the way he’s coming to handle his work and his preparation.”

The impact of this change wasn’t lost on Jones either. He hasn’t changed what he’s done, but without the responsibilities of class, he’s been able to to welcome the new responsibilities that come with being a graduate of the University and one of the team’s elder statesmen.

“I feel old knowing that I have a degree,” Jones said. “I don’t have class — I have different responsibilities now being here. … I do have a dog, so trying to take care of her.

Just doing other stuff, preparing my house before my parents and family come down … just different things. Being a leader in the locker room because I am one of the older guys now, so having to drag the young kids along because, normally, that wasn’t my job so now this year it is being one of the older ones and one of the guys they look up to. It’s different responsibilities, but it’s kind of the same thing: just living life and doing me.”

And by accepting these new

responsibilities, Jones has seen his understanding of leadership and what it requires change over the course of this season.

“When the time calls, I’m willing to step up and be a leader for the guys, offer some words of inspiration [and] stuff like that,” Jones said Oct. 26 as Notre Dame prepared to take on Miami. “ … Especially this year, I just kind of feel like ‘I’m the oldest guy on the team, I have to say something. I hope these guys listen to me.’ But when these guys listen to me, it let’s me know I am capable of being a leader, I am capable of leading these guys and these guys do look up to me. And once I realized that, I kinda started expressing that a lot more. “… When I was a high school captain, I really didn’t see myself as that much of a leader. I was kind of feeling like I was a leader through example. But [I learned] through maturity and all that there is no such thing as a leader by example.

You have to be vocal, you have to pull your guys along, so just this whole year has taught me a lot about leadership.”

That’s not to say he hasn’t allowed his play to lead the way for the Irish defense this season. After a slow start and a change at defensive coordinator, the unit has gone from allowing over 33 points and 454 yards per game to under 21 points and 317 yards per game.

Jones has very much been at the center of that improvement, including his eight and a half tackles for loss this season — six of which came in a dominating performance during Notre Dame’s 30-27 win over the Hurricanes on Oct. 29.

Jones said the Irish defense’s turnaround has been the direct result of a new mentality. After weeks of struggles and criticisms, the unit stopped worrying about its shortcomings and dedicated itself to blocking out the distractions and just giving the program all it has.

“Just learning to let it go,” Jones said. “Forgetting about making mistakes and just going out there and playing our hearts out. Not having the worry on your mind

that you’re going to mess up. And when we do that, we play so much better, we feel so much more comfortable in the way we play and people are prone to make big plays and be the players they were recruited here to be.”

For Jones individually, he’s begun to draw increased attention from NFL scouts, as his on-thefield production matched the combination of size and athleticism that teams at the next level look for.

And while he has very much reciprocated that attention and hopes to play in the NFL next season, Jones also acknowledged that his final season donning the blue and gold is winding down, and he is doing his best to make the most of it.

“I just try to put it out of my mind,” Jones said. “It’s all about trying to finish up my time here

with my teammates. I’m gonna miss them, I’m gonna miss being in this locker room [and] miss putting on this gold helmet. So [my focus is] just trying to enjoy my time here.”

But regardless of whether he’s thinking about the next level or the final games of this season, Jones said he is well aware of what has gotten him this far and what will allow him to both break into and succeed at the next level.

“Just work — having that hard work mentality takes you places, and it showed on this past Saturday,” Jones said. “And when you go out to the field and prepare yourself and right yourself for Saturdays, it shows.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones makes a tackle during Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory over Army in San Antonio on Nov. 12.

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MIKE MCGLINCHEY | OL | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 23 edition of The Observer.

It’s Saturday night in Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame and Michigan State are battling it out in a top-20 showdown. The Irish offense takes the field, ready to square-off with the formidable Spartan defense.

The ball is snapped, and war is waged in the trenches of the line of scrimmage. Who wins that battle on that play will ultimately determine the success or failure of that play.

But once the play is over, the players line up again and ready for the next snap. They prepare to once again dig in, put their hands on the turf and assert their will.

They may have won the battle, but the war has just begun.

It’s a physical beating not many people can handle, let alone embrace and look forward to. But not many people are Mike McGlinchey.

“It’s going to be a pretty physical football game,” McGlinchey said. “Obviously guys like me are chomping at the bit for that. … That’s why you play college football as an offensive lineman is for a game like this. It’s not every week you get to play against guys that they’re not trying to sugar coat what they’re doing.

They’re going to lineup and play and see what you’ve got, and that’s what’s fun about it. “ … That’s what we play the game for.”

Yet, football isn’t just a game for the captain and senior offensive lineman. It’s a way of life. The Philadelphia native comes from one of those big football families, where many of his cousins have played or

currently play at the collegiate level. One of them — former Boston College quarterback and current signal caller for the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan — has even gone on to play in the NFL, and McGlinchey might just go on to join him after the conclusion of his Notre Dame career. With that kind of pedigree, it’s no surprise McGlinchey considers football as formative for him as he finds it enjoyable. “[Football] kind of made me and my family who we are,” he said. “It’s always kind of been the center point to what we did and who we were, and all of our focus was always on what we could do together as football players — how to get better and how to chase dreams that were in front of us.

“It’s been vital to who we were. … We love it, and it’s just everything about us.”

But the 6-foot-7.5, 310-pound lineman wasn’t always just a bruiser who set the tone at the line of scrimmage. He played all over the field growing up before settling in as a tight end in high school. But when his coaches asked him to make the switch to the trenches, he was more than willing to oblige.

“A lot of it was just need at my high school, and that was pretty much just it,” McGlinchey said. “I played whatever my high school needed me to play, and I guess it was kind of my destiny to eventually put my hand in the dirt. It worked out, so I can’t really complain.”

Work out it did, as the transition to offensive tackle and his success with it earned him several accolades in high school. He was ranked in the nation’s top-25 offensive tackles coming out of high school, per Rivals.com, and his play earned him an invitation to the Semper Fidelis

All-American Bowl as a senior.

And after hearing what several college programs had to offer during his recruitment, he ultimately settled on Notre Dame.

But McGlinchey wasn’t a starter the minute he stepped on the field for the Irish. In fact, he didn’t see any time his freshman year. Then, the following season, he spent most of his time on special teams.

While he wasn’t playing on the line for most of those first two seasons, he was still learning a lot from the players who were. In teammates like Zack and Nick Martin and Ronnie Stanley, McGlinchey witnessed first-hand how to play the position with professionalism.

“I think [I learned] just how to be a pro, really,” McGlinchey said. “Just how to go about your business the right way, how to be a leader and how to be a good teammate, and I think that’s been the most important thing they’ve bestowed upon me. It’s just the hard work that they did — they just showed you the right path, and we took over.”

And after 25 games, his opportunity finally came at the end of his sophomore season, when he was named the starter at right tackle for the final game of the year: a date with a ranked LSU squad in the Music City Bowl. Yet when game day finally arrived, McGlinchey said he wasn’t even focused on the difficult task of keeping a physical, athletic Tiger defensive line at bay.

“To be honest with you, I was really focusing on trying to be healthy — I had a really bad stomach bug that day, so I was really just trying to get through it,” McGlinchey said.

“I mean, I was nervous the whole month leading up to it, and it was my first [start].

I knew I was going to get the start, and I was pretty excited about it. But when the game day finally hit, I was more worried about the stomach bug than I was LSU’s defense.”

But his play showed no ill effects from the bug as he helped anchor the Irish offensive line in what ended up as a 31-28 victory for the Irish.

And, as he f lipped the page from his sophomore season to his junior season, he said that game gave him confidence and let him know he belonged.

“I finally figured out that I can do it when it’s the real time, and I got feel for how you had to operate within the game,” McGlinchey said. “And that’s all very important. It was a huge experience for me for sure.”

And it was that confidence that allowed McGlinchey to f lourish his junior season, as he helped to anchor an offensive line that was a finalist for the inaugural Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation’s best offensive line. It brought attention to him that carried over into this year, as he was named to the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award watch lists heading into the season. He was even being talked about as a potential first-round draft pick in this year’s NFL draft, following the footsteps of Stanley and Martin — that is, at least, until he announced he would return for his last season of eligibility on Oct. 5.

Yet, with all these lofty expectations being placed on him, McGlinchey knows he has to focus on being the best player he can be and not worrying about the footsteps of those who came before him.

“I can’t focus on the expectations that are put on me,” McGlinchey said. “ …

Obviously there is an expectation when you’re the veteran

and the captain, and you have to know your job at all times and perform at the highest level. That’s what I’m trying to do each and every week. It’s a matter of focusing on what’s important and not those lofty expectations that will help me exceed them.”

Now, as the Irish prepare to play host to the Spartans on Saturday night, those expectations are as high as ever.

In a game many believe will be won at the line of scrimmage, Notre Dame will need McGlinchey and the rest of its offensive line to be at its best against a formidable Michigan State front seven.

But that doesn’t change the way the unit will prepare, as they are treating the matchup just as they would any other.

“We don’t prepare differently,” McGlinchey said. “We prepare hard each and every week, and it’s about sticking to routine and being consistent.

That makes players great. So we’re not really changing a whole lot — we obviously have certain intricacies in the game plan that we’re putting in for Michigan State, but other than that, not really a whole lot of change.”

But the history of the rivalry between the two programs isn’t lost on McGlinchey. He said he knows how hardfought the games of the past have been between them.

And he said that will only make Saturday’s game more physical and more exciting.

“It’s a physical football game, and that’s the way football is supposed to be played,” McGlinchey said. “I’m really excited about it, and I know the rest of our guys up front are too. It’s gonna be a fun game, and it’s gonna be a great challenge.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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HEAD T

3:30 P.M. ET | NOTRE DAME STADIUM EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

HOKIES PASSING

HOKIES OFFENSIVE COACHING

Virginia Tech boats a potent passing attack, led by junior quarterback Jerod Evans.

Evans transferred to Blacksburg, Virginia, after two years at a junior college and is now a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award.

Evans has thrown for 22 touchdowns — second-most in a single season for the Hokies — and over 2,500 yards this season and ranks in the top 10 in the country in passer rating.

Evans is a dual-threat quarterback, and his ability to break out of the pocket should pose problmes for Notre Dame’s defense.

Evans also has one receiving touchdown on the year off of a trick play.

In the receiving department, the Hokies rely on junior Isaiah Ford. Ford has nearly 800 yards and 60 receptions so far this season, after being named to preseason watchlists for the Biletnikoff and Maxwell Awards.

Beyond Ford, who has 24 career touchdown receptions, junior Cam Phillips enters Saturday’s matchup with over 600 yards on the season and 13.8 yards per catch.

Long story short, the Hokies have a lot of weapons the Irish need to shut down.

That may be a tough task for the Irish who have not seen a legitimate passing offense in two weeks, after playing two service academies. The young Irish secondary has made strides, but Saturday’s contest will show how far the group has come.

After Frank Beamer’s long and storied tenure in Blacksburg, the Hokies new head coach — Justin Fuente — is a different animal. While Beamer was respected throughout the country for his focus on defense and special teams, Fuente was hired to bring high-powered offenses to Blacksburg.

And the results, thus far, are positive.

Virginia Tech has put up 450 yards of offense on six occasions and 500 yards twice.

This year is just the fourth in the last 30 in which the Hookies have managed to accomplish 450 yards on six occasions. A large amount of credit must be given to Fuente to transition from a hard-nosed ground attack to a more modern pro-style system. Fuente’s pickup of former junior college quarterback Jerod Evans is also paying dividends.

The Irish, meanwhile, are still getting used to defensive coordinator Greg Hudson after the midseason firing of Brian VanGorder. Notre Dame’s stat lines have imporved dramtically, although the game versus North Carolina State in a hurricane tends to skew the stats.

EDGE: VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES RUSHING Virginia Tech is certinaly a pass-first team, but when they do run, the Hokies can open up the ground game. The Hokies backfield does not have one dominant rusher, instead, quarterback Jerod Evans, sophomore Travon McMillian and senior Sam Rogers share carries. McMillian functions as the speed back, while Rogers is more of a downhill runner. Add in Evans with the reed-option and the Irish have a lot to be aware of.

On defense, the Irish performed adequately against the triple-option attacks of Army and Navy. The Irish allowed 320 yards to the Midshipmen, but held the Black Knights to fewer than 230. With graduate student defensive tackle Jarron Jones back in his element, the Irish front seven will have all the weapons they need to stop Virginia Tech’s run game.

EDGE: EVEN

VIRGINIA TECH

EMMET FARNAN| The Observer

(R-So.) Jaylen Bradshaw 15

Kicking for the Hokies is junior Joey Slye.

Slye needs to make just nine more field goals to break the Hokies record for most made field goals at 68. Slye’s 17 made field goals this season rank third in the Power 5 conferences and his 88 points lead all ACC kickers.

The Hokies also boast a strong reutrn game, led by junior cornerback Greg Stroman.

Stroman has one punt return for a touchdown this season against East Carolina.

LT LG C RG RT TE

(So.) Yosuah Nijam 69 (R-Fr.) Tyrell Smith 79

(Sr.) Sam

Rogers

45

(Jr.) Travon McMillian 34

(Jr.) Jerod

Evans

(R-Sr.) Brenden Motely

4 9

RB QB

(Jr.) Kc McDermott

52

(R-Fr.) Hayden Mahoney 79

(Jr.) Eric Gallo 64 (R-Jr.) Kyle Chung 61

(R-Sr.) Augie Conte 72 (R-So.) Braxton Pfaff 74

(Sr.) Jonathon McLaughlin 71 (R-Jr.) Parker Osterloh 67

(R-Fr.) Chris Cunningham 85 (R-Fr.) Xavier Burke 82

(Jr.) Bucky Hodges 7 (Fr.) Divine Deablo 88

WR

WR

(Jr.) Cam Phillips 5

(R-So.) C.J. Carroll 86

(Jr.) Brandon Facyson 31 (So.) Adonis Alexander 36

(So.) Tremaine Edmunds 49

EDGE: VIRIGNIA TECH HOKIES SPECIAL TEAMS

WR

(Jr.) Isaiah Ford 1

(Sr.) Chuck Clark 19 (Sr.) Der’Woun Greene 23

(Fr.) Tavante Beckett 14

FS

CB

WILL

(R-So.) Vinny Mihota 99 (Jr.)Seth Dooley 43

(R-Jr.) Andrew Motuapuaka 54 (R-Jr.) Sean Huelskamp 56

MLB

(Sr.) Woody Baron

60

(R-So.) Ricky Walker 98

(R-Sr.) Nigel Williams 8

(R-Fr.) Tim Settle 97

(R-So.) Terrell Edmunds 22 (Jr.) Deon Newsome. 20

SS

(R-Fr.) Ken Ekanem 4

(R-Fr.) Trevon Hill 94

(So.) Mook Reynolds 6

(Jr.) Anthony Shegog 24

(Jr.) Greg

EDGE: VIRGINIA TECH

DE DT DT DE

SAM

Stroman

3

(So.) Adonis Alexander 36

CB

HOKIES SCHEDULE (7-3) Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26

Liberty (W, 36-13) vs. Tennessee (L, 45-22) Boston College (W, 49-0) East Carolina (W, 54-17) @North Carolina (W, 34-3) @Syracuse (L, 31-17) Miami (Fla.) (W, 37-16) @ Pittsburgh (W 39-36) @Duke (W 24-21) Georgia Tech (L 30-20) @ Notre Dame Virginia

(Jr.) Joey Slye 46 (Fr.) Brian Johnson 93

(Jr.) Mitchell Ludwig 90 (Jr.) Joey Slye 46

(Jr.) Greg

Stroman

3

(So.) C.J. Carroll 86

PK P PR

(Fr.) Wright Bynum 89 (R-So.) C.J. Carroll 86

(Jr.) Greg

Zach Klonsinski

Marek Mazurek

Assistant Managing Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Sports Editor

It took 10 games for it to happen, but Notre Dame actually played 60 minutes of football last week. The result: a game where we actually saw the team that was capable of making a run at the College Football Playoff.

As fans have known all year, this Irish team has the talent and ability to play with just about anyone in the country. With the win over Miami, a solid game against Navy two weeks ago despite the loss and last week’s rout of the Black Knights, Notre Dame is trending up.

Virginia Tech, on the other hand, is moving in the other direction after being embarrassed by Georgia Tech last week.

Look for the Irish to keep momentum rolling Saturday and come away with a Senior Day victory.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 45, Virginia Tech 34

3

(Jr.) Colton Taylor 87

Alex Carson

Since the bye week, Notre Dame has looked like a completely different team. The defense has been one of the better units in the nation, the offense has bounced back and against Army and the special teams unit even managed to stay out of trouble. It would not surprise me to see another complete performance from the Irish this week.

But while Army is a fine opponent, Virginia Tech will be the best team Notre Dame has seen this season. The Hokies didn’t look their best the last time out, but they’re still a win over Virginia next week away from the ACC Coastal title and a likely date with Clemson — a team they can beat to win the conference title.

If this were any of the 10 teams Notre Dame’s faced so far, I’d like the Irish. The Hokies, however, are simply the better team.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia Tech 31, Notre Dame 21

Stroman

(Sr.) Der’Woun Greene 23

(Fr.)Wright Bynum 89

H KR LS

In weeks past, I’ve picked against Notre Dame because I didn’t believe in its ability to play a complete game on all three phases.

This week, however, I’m picking against the Irish because Virginia Tech is simply better.

Notre Dame has solved many of its past troubles and has a promising freshman class that can make waves in the coming years. But for the present, a Jerod Evans-led Hokie squad will be too much for the Irish.

Evans is Maxwell Award semifinalist and Bud Foster defenses are always to be feared.

The Hokies are coming off their third loss of the season, but in both of their previous games following a defeat, they have utterly dominated their opponent. That doesn’t bode well for the Irish.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia Tech 35, Notre Dame 24

INSIDER

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

7

O HEAD ON NBC

NOTRE DAME CB

Julian Love (Fr.) 35

27

Donte Vaughn (Fr.)

WILL DE DT DT DE

WR WR RT RG C LG LT TE WR

H KR LS

4

Te’von Coney (So.)

22 Asmar Bilal (So.)

S

Andrew Trumbetti (Jr.)

98

9 Daelin Hayes (Fr.)

Jarron Jones (Gr.)

94

75 Daniel Cage (Jr.)

Jerry Tillery (So.)

99

MLB

5

8

Devin Studstill (Fr.)

28 Nico Fertitta (So.)

Nyles Morgan (Jr.)

48 Greer Martini (Jr.)

58 Elijah Taylor (So.)

Isaac Rochell (Sr.)

90

S

55 Jonathan Bonner (Jr.)

SAM CB

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

36

17

James Onwualu (Sr.)

23

Drue Tranquill (Jr.)

21 Jalen Elliot (Fr.)

44 Jamir Jones (Fr.)

Cole Luke (Sr.)

18 Troy Pride Jr. (Fr.)

Equanimeous St. Brown (So.)

6

81 Miles Boykin (So.)

29

Kevin Stepherson (Fr.)

15 Corey Holmes (Jr.)

Alex Bars (Jr.)

71

78 Tommy Kraemer (Fr.)

Colin McGovern (Sr.)

62

75 Mark Harrell (Gr.)

53

Sam Mustipher (Jr.)

75 Mark Harrell (Gr.)

RB QB

33

Josh Adams (So.)

25 Tarean Folston (Sr.)

14

DeShone Kizer (Jr.)

8 Malik Zaire (Sr.)

Quenton Nelson (Jr.)

56

57 Trevor Ruhland (So.)

Mike McGlinchey (Sr.)

68

70 Hunter Bivin (Sr.)

80

Durham Smythe (Sr.)

82 Nic Weishar (Jr.)

16

Torii Hunter Jr. (Sr.)

3 C.J. Sanders (So.)

4

Montgomery VanGorder (Jr.)

14 DeShone Kizer (Jr.)

3

C.J. Sanders (So.)

10 Chris Finke (So.)

61

Scott Daly (Gr.)

54 John Shannon (Fr.)

PK P PR

19

Justin Yoon (So.)

85 Tyler Newsome (Jr.)

85

Tyler Newsome (Jr.)

42 Jeff Riney (So.)

3

C.J. Sanders (So.)

10 Chris Finke (So.)

Notre Dame vs. Temple

Renee Griffin

Associate Sports Editor

Sports Writer

Last week’s “complete performance,” as head coach Brian Kelly called it, against Army has done a lot to relieve many of the concerns people had for this Irish team.

But will that translate to another victory this week?

Sure, Virginia Tech has been trending downward while Notre Dame has been on the up and up, but the Hokies are still a top-level team competing for an ACC championship game berth. And quarterback Jerod Evans and receiver Isaiah Ford will be the best duo this secondary has seen so far this season.

Notre Dame is continuing to make strides, and Senior Day will give the Irish a boost. But the Hokies have proven far more consistent this season, which leads me to give them the nod in this one.

FINAL SCORE: Virgina Tech 35, Notre Dame 34

IRISH PASSING

IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING

After taking a hit in the middle of the season, junior Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer’s draft stock is on the rise again. Kizer led the Irish to score points on five of their six possessions against Nav y and put up three passing touchdowns in a 44-6 blowout one week later versus Army. Kizer has 2,470 yards to his name this season, including 22 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Kizer’s three touchdowns against Army also vaulted him into rarified air, as the junior now sits at third place in Notre Dame’s hsitory for passing touchdowns after less than two full seasons as the starter.

Even with senior Torii Hunter Jr. out against the Black Knights due to a knee injury, the young Irish receiving corp has come along nicely. Freshmen Chase Claypool and Kevin Stepherson have an impact on a weekly basis and sophomore Equanimeous St. Brown is a star in the making.

The Hokies have a tradition of being a strong defensive team going bck to “Beamer Ball” under Frank Beamer and have only allowed more than 30 points in three contests this year.

After a mid-season slump which saw questionable coaching form Brian Kelly, the Irish have entered a different gear offensively. Though the Irish only managed to get six offensive possession versus Navy, they scored on five of the them.

Notre Dame put up 30 points on a very talented Miami defense and a 44-point display of firepower against Army speaks for itself.

As he’s done in the past two weeks, Kelly has a clear idea of what he wants to accomplish. The Irish run game has picked up and if Kelly makes a commitment to it, it has shown it can be effective. Kizer had a habit of holding the ball too long at the beginning of the season, but now is getting the ball out of his hands more quickly. Though his play calling may anger fans on accasoin, Kelly has shown he can coach up an NFL-caliber quarterback and future NFL receivers.

Though Beamer is gone, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster is still making his aggressive brand of defense felt throughout the ACC. The Hokies are famed for passing off the Lunch Pail to a different player each work who earns it through their preparation. If the Hokies hope to escape South Bend with a win, the Virginia Tech defense will have to play near its best.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME IRISH RUSHING In addition to his arm, DeShone Kizer’s legs have been Notre Dame’s most effective weapon on the ground as of late. He rushed for 70 yards against Army and the Irish as a team tallied their highest season total at 261. Sophomores Josh Adams and Dexter Williams and senior Tarean Folston form a three-headed monster that has been effective when Irish head coach Brian Kelly sticks with it.

The Hokies, on the other side of the ball, are coming off a game agaisnt Georgia Tech where they allowed the Yellow Jackets to gain 309 yards rushing — and two weeks ago, the Hokies gave up 227 yards on the ground to Duke.

Virginia Tech’s safeties like to help out with the run, so to find success, the Irish will likely need to establish both a passing attack and a groud game.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Ben Padanilam

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Though the rout of Army was as convincing as any Irish fan could have hoped, it would be an overreaction to expect this Notre Dame team — which has yet to win two games back-to-back this season — to perform that well on a consistent basis.

With that said, Virginia Tech has shown itself to be beatable, with a loss to Georgia Tech last week and a loss to Syracuse earlier this year. The Hokies’ offensive production has decreased significantly in the past two games; the Irish don’t need to play a perfect game to snag a victory.

With confidence powering both the offense and the defense, and Senior Day and the pursuit of .500 adding extra motivation, Notre Dame will squeak out a win.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 35, Virginia Tech 27

EDGE: EVEN IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS After a kickoff returned for a touchdown last week versus Army, sophomore C.J. Sanders will look to replicate that feat against the Hokies.

EDGE: EVEN IRISH SCHEDULE (4-6) Sept. 4 @ Texas (L, 50-47, 2OT) Sept. 10 Nevada (W, 39-10) Sept. 17 Michigan State (L, 36-28) Sept. 24 Duke (L, 38-35) Oct. 1 vs. Syracuse (W, 50-33) Oct. 8 @ NC State (L, 10-3) Oct. 15 Stanford (L, 17-10) Oct. 29 Miami (Fla.) (W 30-27) Nov. 5 vs. Navy (L 28-27) Nov. 12 vs. Army (W 44-6) Nov. 19 Virginia Tech Nov. 26 @ USC

Follow Observer Sports on Twitter for live updates and analysis during the game this weekend and all season long. @ObserverSports

8

INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

JAMES ONWUALU | LB | SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By RENEE GRIFFIN Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Oct. 14 edition of The Observer.

On Nov. 30, 2013, freshman receiver James Onwualu recorded his second collegiate pass reception, an 11-yard toss from Irish quarterback Tommy Rees during a 27-20 loss to Stanford. It was also his last reception.

On a cold, rainy October day one year later, sophomore linebacker James Onwualu lined up deep in Irish territory against the offense of then-No. 14 Stanford, which was up by one touchdown against then-No. 9 Notre Dame. Cardinal running back Kelsey Young took a handoff up the middle and shot through a hole in the line. Onwualu promptly leveled him with a pop loud enough to be heard on NBC’s broadcast.

Stanford turned the ball over three plays later, the Irish offense scored a game-tying touchdown before halftime and Notre Dame went on to win 17-14.

Onwualu said that play is one of his favorites of the past four years, though it came in just his fourth start at linebacker.

On Oct. 15 of this year, senior captain James Onwualu nearly doubled his career tally for pass breakups with three against Stanford. It wasn’t enough, as the Irish fell to the Cardinal, 17-10, but Onwualu had a career game with five tackles and a forced fumble in addition to the defended passes.

Those Stanford matchups highlight and encapsulate the Notre Dame career of the Saint Paul, Minnesota, native, who was recruited to the school as an “athlete,” having played running back, wide receiver and defensive back in high school.

He spent his freshman year at wide receiver, earning the starting spot in four games. In fact, entering 2016, Onwualu had the most starts of any receiver on the Irish roster.

Onwualu’s big hits on special teams made him consider a switch to the other side of the ball, he said.

Head coach Brian Kelly granted his request, and the rest is history.

“I had some success on special teams,” Onwualu said. “Coach kept on talking about my physicality, so I just figured it was worth giving it a shot. I went to Coach and asked if I could get a couple practices to try it out, and maybe go both ways or just play defense, and it ended up working.”

By the time the season-opener of

2014 rolled around, Onwualu was a starter at linebacker, playing alongside stars Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt. He recorded 24 overall tackles in the regular season, plus four more in the Music City Bowl against LSU. He continued to develop at the position as a junior, recording 38 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in 11 games. Now, with two games to go in his senior season, he has 60 total tackles, two sacks, nine and a half tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Onwualu said his progress at linebacker arises from an increase in confidence and comfort level this season.

“Through this year, I feel like I’ve found a bit more confidence,” Onwualu said. “I feel like I’m more comfortable with where I’m at, not only doing my job but making some plays.”

That confidence and playmaking allow Onwualu to lead by example. He said the honor of being named a captain comes with “great responsibility.”

“It’s been fun just being the leader of this team and being around such great guys, and being able to teach them what I know, but also learn a lot from those guys,” Onwualu said.

The need for defensive leadership

was especially high in 2016 following the unit’s dismal performance in the first few games of the season, leading to the firing of coordinator Brian VanGorder and the reliance on several inexperienced freshmen in the secondary.

Onwualu said responsibility, effort and encouragement are what he focuses on when speaking as captain and trying to elevate the team’s morale.

“For me, it’s just holding guys accountable for the way they work … just making sure they’re working every single day to be on point and be the best players they can possibly be,” Onwualu said. “And when they do good things, it’s making sure to let them know that the things that they’re doing are helping them be successful, as well as just continuing to motivate some of the younger guys and not letting them get down on themselves.”

Onwualu said that the emphasis on hard work partially comes from what he learned playing with Smith and Schmidt.

“The things that I picked up from them is how to work every single day and how to carry yourself as a Notre Dame linebacker,” Onwualu said. “The work that you have to put in, the amount that you have to study the game and really take care of your body – all of those aspects,

you learn from guys like that.”

While his predecessors at linebacker taught him what it meant to be a linebacker at the University, Onwualu credits his older brother with teaching him the life skills that allowed him to reach a collegiate field in the first place. Onwualu said it’s part of his game day ritual to text his brother and let him know that he’s the reason “why I’m fighting and playing that day.”

“My brother’s my best friend,” Onwualu said. “He’s the guy that kind of raised me in my life, and took care of me when I was a kid and always put me in situations I wanted to be in. He’s definitely my mentor. For me, he’s a brother but he’s also a best friend and he’s also a father, and I wouldn’t be where I am without him. “[Football] has always been a motivation for doing well in life; he was the one that always made me do my homework before I could go to practice and was training me out in the front yard.”

With Onwualu helping to lead the Irish defense’s revival from 103rd earlier this year to 39th heading into Saturday’s game, it seems those front-yard training sessions paid off.

Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker James Onwualu pursues an Army ball carrier near the goal line during Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory over the Black Knights at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Nov. 12. Onwualu started his career at Notre Dame as a receiver, but switched to linebacker during his sophomore season and is now one of Notre Dame’s four senior captains.

INSIDER

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

9

ISAAC ROCHELL | DL | MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By MAREK MAZUREK Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Nov. 11 edition of The Observer.

When he lines up in a threepoint stance, senior defensive lineman Isaac Rochell is imposing to say the least.

The McDonough, Georgia, native looks every bit of his 6-foot-3 1/2, 290-pound frame, and his four years at Notre Dame prove that his bark is just as potent as his bite.

When the Irish suit up to face Virginia Tech at Notre Dame Stadium, Rochell will make his 20th consecutive start on the defensive line. In that time, Rochell has recorded 94 tackles and two sacks.

Last season, he led the Irish defensive front with 63 tackles — the program’s most by a defensive lineman since 2007.

In fact, you’d have to go back to October of 2014 to find the last game Rochell didn’t make an appearance on the stat sheet.

But when interviewed after practice Nov. 9, what Rochell was the most eager to talk about wasn’t his individual accolades or how Notre Dame’s defense plans to attack Army.

He wants to sell you coffee. Specifically, coffee from Street Bean in Seattle.

“Basically, Street Bean is a nonprofit coffee shop, and they employ homeless youth in the Seattle area and give them an opportunity to reclaim their lives,” Rochell said.

For every bag of coffee Street Bean sells, it gives a homeless youth in Seattle one hour of free job training, and Rochell spent two weeks there over the summer learning the inner workings of a nonprofit business.

“I’ve never seen a nonprofit

company that’s as unique as Street Bean is,” Rochell said.

“I just reached out to their owner pretty much, just kind of random. They weren’t really expecting it. Nor did they really know Notre Dame. I was blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to go out there. It was one of the coolest experiences I ever had.”

Not only did Street Bean not expect an application from him, Rochell said, but it also didn’t expect a Division I lineman to be quite so large.

“I don’t think they fully understood it until they saw me, and they’re like, ‘OK this dude’s kind of big,’” Rochell joked. “But I think that’s what makes it so beautiful, that they were willing to take a chance, not knowing who I was, in order to teach somebody about nonprofit. It was great.”

Though he recently worked with Street Bean, Rochell said he came into Notre Dame with an interest in philanthropy. For Rochell, political science seemed like a good fit because the discipline deals with organizing communities and affecting change socially.

“I think I was just more interested in the idea of being able to help people and getting involved with philanthropic stuff,” Rochell said. “A lot of that deals with political science because you’re dealing with the law and whatnot.

And a lot of the initial classes I dealt with weren’t dealing with politics, but they were more discussing social issues.”

And Rochell’s leadership doesn’t stop in class or over the summer. The four-year veteran was awarded a captaincy for his senior season, and Rochell said he couldn’t be more honored.

“It’s definitely the biggest honor of my life, to be considered a leader of Notre Dame football,” Rochell said. “All in all, it’s the coolest thing I’ve

ever experienced. Also, I have the opportunity and privilege to be a captain with some good guys.”

A key to Rochell’s leadership: learn from those who came before you. After being teammates with players like Sheldon Day, Stephon Tuitt and Romeo Okwara, Rochell said he sought to recreate the vibrant atmosphere he inherited on the defensive line.

“When you’re playing with great players, you’re taking a lot of great things from them,” Rochell said. “Obviously, they cared about their teammates.

[Sheldon Day] cared about his teammates. Tuitt cared about his teammates. And so you learn a little bit about being a leader.

“Everybody’s got their own personality, and when you bring everyone together, you have a good time. I personally love all the guys on the D-line. But I would say in general, the D-line on teams is the jokester group.”

While Rochell benefitted from Day and Okwara around to guide him in his first few seasons with the Irish, he felt somewhat odd being turned to as the sole leader of the unit. However, Rochell said he recognizes the transition as part of the leadership process and hopes next year’s leaders are able to find their own way.

“It’s definitely weird, and I know it will be weird for whoever that guy is next year,” Rochell said. “Just the absence of some people who you’ve always been here with. I’ve always been here with Sheldon, I’ve always been here with Romeo. And that’s kind of defined my experience in a lot of ways, so with them gone, you feel like you’re embarking on a new journey. So it’s definitely different, but it’s an experience. It’s cool. It’s a challenge at the beginning of the year I enjoyed because it’s a new challenge. It’ll be cool

to see guys do the same thing next year.”

Yet Rochell said he learned some of his most important lessons while wearing his barista’s smock, not his shoulder pads. Sometimes, Rochell said, it’s important to step back and realize that football isn’t the end-all-beall of life.

“I think anytime you’re working with underprivileged individuals, it puts things in perspective,” Rochell said.

“Just the idea that football is just a game. There’s a bigger picture. Even with the guys on the team, guys are going through stuff, different issues going on that need to be handled. Sometimes you have to keep it small. This is just a game, let’s look at the bigger picture of life. That’s the

biggest takeaway, just a bigger understanding of a human.”

Even with an eye toward the NFL, Rochell hopes to make it to the next level not just to cash paychecks but to start something bigger than himself.

“I think the NFL is definitely something I’m thinking about and excited about,” Rochell said. “Then, within that, I want to get involved with some type of philanthropic, Street Bean-type thing. Just because I think it’s so important. If you don’t do that, one day we’re just going to be old wondering what we did with our lives. That’s definitely my plan, and I’m excited about it.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish senior lineman Isaac Rochell tackles the Navy quarterback during Notre Dame’s 28-27 loss to the Midshipmen on Nov. 5.

10

INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

DURHAM SMYTHE | TE | BELTON, TEXAS

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 23 edition of The Observer.

Every Notre Dame fan remembers the winning touchdown against Virginia last season.

Trailing by one at the Cavalier’s 39-yard line facing second-and-9 with just 19 seconds remaining, backup quarterback DeShone Kizer rolled to his left and found a streaking Will Fuller edging behind the Virginia secondary for a touchdown that saved the Irish from what would have been a disastrous early-season loss.

Amid all the headlines from that Irish victory over the Cavaliers last season — such as Kizer’s sudden promotion from unknown to hero after Malik Zaire broke his ankle late in the third quarter — one wouldn’t blame Irish fans for missing one piece of news: then-junior tight end Durham Smythe had torn his MCL and would miss the rest of the regular season.

Nor will many fans remember that Smythe made an important “play” on that torn MCL right before Kizer found Fuller for the final score.

Smythe’s play was not a highlight-reel catch, however. It was not a pivotal block.

It did not leave a lasting image like Kizer streaking down the field with his arms raised in celebration or break the internet like the heartbroken Virginia student draped over the wall.

It was, however, an effort that demonstrates the grit and unquantifiable nature that makes tight end one of the most underappreciated positions in college football.

With 43 seconds remaining in the game, Kizer threw to his right on a screen to running back C.J. Prosise, who was tackled inbounds after picking up just a yard. Smythe had lined up on the opposite side of the formation and kicked out farther to the left to block a Cavalier defender.

“Forty seconds left, we’re running that screen to the right. I go

out and meet my guy in the hole, the alley player, the SAM,” Smythe said. “I’m trying to stay in front of him and all of a sudden, I just feel someone full speed roll into the side of my leg.

“And to be honest, I thought when it first happened, ‘My leg is broken.’ It rolled on me — I snapped back, kind of, I felt a couple pops. I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be really bad.’ Rolled over, saw that my leg was intact at least, facing the right direction.”

Notre Dame had only one timeout remaining, and in college football, if an offensive player is injured and needs to receive medical attention with under two minutes remaining, his team has to use a timeout or let 10 seconds run off the game clock.

The Irish could ill afford either option. And Smythe knew it.

“It was kind of all in the heat of the moment, but then I realized there’s 30 seconds left in the game … I don’t want to lay here and get a 10-second runoff and lose the game because I am laying on the field,” Smythe said. “So I roll over, kind of power limp off the field, jump onto the table, tell the trainers that my leg is in some trouble and then all of a sudden the crowd goes crazy.”

The very next play, Kizer found Fuller at the pylon.

“Luckily Will Fuller came through for us there,” Smythe said.

“At least we got the win, but personally definitely not one of my brighter moments. ...

“From a strictly pain side … there’s adrenaline running — we’re at the end of the game trying to make a crazy comeback so I’m focused on that, but that was an extremely painful couple seconds for me, and then the plane ride home.”

Being able to bear his fair share of pain shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. For Smythe, making the unquantifiable plays is just what comes with the territory at “Tight End U.” “It’s the resume that’s presented to you,” Smythe said. “With the track record that we’ve had here … with me, growing up I watched [Kyle] Rudolph, [Tyler] Eifert, [Anthony] Fasano. It goes back

really far. ... “[Playing tight end at Notre Dame] becomes a responsibility.

I tell a lot of people it’s kind of a mix between a responsibility and an honor because, first and foremost, you’re getting your name mentioned with all these guys who have done incredible things. But then it becomes a responsibility to keep the name ‘Tight End U’ and uphold the production.”

For Smythe, that production is hard to find on a stat sheet: in his career, he’s totaled just 13 receptions for 137 yards. Five of his 13 grabs have been for touchdowns, though, including two — both of his receptions — against Army last weekend, one in the loss to Michigan State and one on a fake field goal earlier in that game against Virginia in 2015.

While he came out of high school more involved in the pass game, Smythe said he’s worked hard on both facets of being tight end in college football — catching the ball and blocking for the person with it.

“It’s about flipping the switch, especially at our position, because, day-by-day, we’ll be working with the offensive line for a portion of time with an emphasis in the run game or with the receivers with an emphasis in the pass game,” Smythe said. “ … Over the years I’ve come to really appreciate the run game … and honestly, if I had to say at this point, they’re probably pretty even for me.”

Smythe showed that ability against the Spartans a few weeks ago.

During Notre Dame’s second drive, Kizer rolled left and stared down Spartan sophomore cornerback Vayante Copeland. Copeland had to make a choice — stop Kizer’s running lane and leave sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown open behind him, or stick with St. Brown and let Kizer take off. Copeland chose the former, and Kizer lofted the ball over him to St. Brown, who raced down the sideline for 48 yards to the Michigan State 28-yard line.

Copeland had to make that impossible choice because Smythe was ahead of his quarterback, locked up with the Spartan

defender who was supposed to prevent Kizer from reaching the edge.

Then in the fourth quarter, Smythe ran a post to the middle of the end zone, initiating contact with and shaking loose from the physical Spartan defender shadowing him. Kizer hit Smythe on the numbers to bring the Irish within eight points.

Smythe said he paid a physical price for his other touchdown too, back against Virginia. Notre Dame faked a field goal and Kizer — still the unknown backup quarterback and holder at that point — flipped the ball to Smythe on a shovel pass.

The tight end barreled his way into the end zone, landing hard on his shoulder.

“I had a shoulder sprain the week before [in the victory over Texas], so I took some medication before to kind of numb it up a little bit,” Smythe said. “Fell on that during the game and really dislodged the AC joint in my shoulder, so I was playing all game with a dead right arm.”

Smythe had surgery on both his knee and shoulder the following week, and he spent the rest of the regular season on Notre Dame’s injury report, included with the likes of quarterback Malik Zaire, running back Tarean Folston and defensive backs Drue Tranquill and Shaun Crawford.

“I would never call it a blessing because everyone in there is out for an extended period of time, but I think it really help as individuals,” Smythe said of rehabbing with so many others. “Maybe we wouldn’t want five other guys in there like there was, but … we developed a relationship, all of us in there, just kind of pushing each other. We’d come in on days where we’re feeling extra sore and you look over and Shaun Crawford is stretching his leg and he’s over there biting on a towel. … So it kind of became one of those relationships like if this guy can do it, I’m obviously going to do it too, which maybe not a blessing, but as individuals, it all helped us recover faster.”

Smythe returned in time to start for the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl, making one reception for five yards. He started all three games

he appeared in last season, catching one pass in each game.

Now a senior, Smythe said his journey to “Tight End U” wasn’t all that surprising, in hindsight.

“I grew up a huge Notre Dame fan, randomly,” Smythe said. “My dad and mom always preached to me from a really young age that you need to find the best mixture for you, but also the best mixture of academics and athletics.

“So I don’t know when this was, maybe sixth grade or before, but obviously I knew the top football programs so I googled the [US News and World Report college rankings]. Just went through looking for schools at the top of the list who also had great football programs and I came across Notre Dame at 13 or 14, and I checked them out more. And then I kind of just developed a crazy interest from there.”

Originally Smythe committed to Texas after then-head coach Mack Brown came to his school. Growing up a Baylor fan — his father was an offensive lineman for the Bears and lettered on the school’s 1980 Southwestern Conference championship team — Smythe said he’d always hated the Longhorns but admitted the state’s flagship school dominated in the area.

“Back then, my junior or sophomore year, Texas was — if you got a Texas offer, especially in my area, Texas was an hour away, you’re going to Texas basically,” Smythe said. “So I kind of jumped on that pretty quickly, was committed for a few months, but kind of realized toward the end of my recruiting process that Notre Dame was still there.

“Notre Dame is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was 10 years old. So I took a visit up here in January. There was three feet of snow on the ground, and I’d never seen snow like that at all before, but I fell in love. I fell in love with the people, the campus. It was everything I’d imagined in my head but even more.

“And I kind of just knew stepping foot on campus that this was the place for me.”

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

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TAREAN FOLSTON | RB | COCOA, FLORIDA

Folston grows after last season’s ACL injury

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

W hen Tarean Folston stepped onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium against Texas in early September 2015, it was supposed to be the start of a big year.

Three carries later, his season was over. A seemingly routine tackle from a Texas defensive back caused Folston to tear his ACL, forcing him out for the season.

But despite the massive setback — and despite seeing sophomore Josh Adams take over starting duties after his performances during Folston’s injury season, the senior running back has contributed in a major role since he recovered.

Folston came to Notre Dame after being named Florida’s Offensive Player of the Year by Florida Today for his senior-year performances at Cocoa High School. After a breakout, 140-yard performance against Nav y, Folston saw two starts during his freshman year: against BY U, where he rumbled for 78 yards and a touchdown, and in the Pinstripe Bowl, where he ran for 73 yards and a touchdown against Rutgers.

It was the 2014 season, though, when Folston truly

established himself. After a slow start that saw him rush for only 165 yards in the opening five games and brief ly lose the starter’s position, Folston had 169 yards from scrimmage against North Carolina. He then ran for 120 yards against thenNo.2 Florida State and 149 against Nav y on his way to 889 rushing yards and 1079 yards from scrimmage for the season.

After finally establishing himself as the undisputed first-choice back on the team, Folston looked set to make a bigger impact than ever in 2015. On a highly-ranked Irish team, he looked like a player with the potential to break out nationally, and a primetime, season-opening game with Texas was a perfect opportunity to do it.

Speaking on Aug. 31, 2016, Folston said he remembers being eager to showcase his talents in that game.

“I was definitely excited,” Folston said. “I’m excited for every game that we play. I was very prepared [and] excited, and I felt good at the workout before the game — because it was a night game — so we got a decent workout before the game, and I was just running around freely, ready to play ball.”

But one f luke injury early in the first quarter put an end to his hopes of contributing to the team that year.

Instead, Folston watched from the sidelines as the Irish went 10-3 after spending much of the season in the hunt for the playoffs. Folston said although he was initially upset, he quickly set his sights on recovery and a return to the field.

“It took me about a week to get over it,” he said. “I was definitely sad, pouting, all of that, but it took about a week to realize that it happened, and I can’t change it. You’ve got to move on and get better; just work to get better and get healthy. So after that first week, I was ready. I was ready to get this rehab and to get back on the field as soon as possible.”

And Folston did return, just in time to have a major impact in the season opener against Texas this season.

Folston rushed for 88 yards and caught one pass for 17, though he couldn’t do enough to stop the Longhorns from winning the game, 50-47.

Despite an ankle injury causing him to miss two more games against Syracuse and North Carolina State, Folston has continued to make an impact when healthy, including

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Irish senior running back Tarean Folston eludes a Cardinal defensive back during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15.

running for 49 yards against Stanford, and 84 yards and a touchdown against Army.

Folston said he was taught from a young age to make the most of limited carries, and that’s been his mantra for this season.

“You just stay hungry and stay ready — that’s what my dad always told me,” Folston said. “You’ve got to get ready.

If you get in a rhythm, I’m pretty sure the coach isn’t going to just take you out, but if they do, then you’ve just got to stay ready, stay locked in on the sideline and get ready for your number to get called again.”

Folston — a Film, Television and Theatre major in the College of Arts and Letters — said he believes that despite the physical setback, he has grown significantly in the mental side of the game.

A key part of that is running backs coach and former Irish running back Autry Denson, who has helped Folston keep focused on his goals.

“Coach Denson tells me to focus on one play at a time, instead of staying mad at myself sometimes,” Folston said. “That helped me out a lot. Also just being out a whole year has given me a new perspective on practice,

but Coach Denson has been there the whole time, just telling me how much better I can get and things like that, and telling me things I can work on each and every day, whether it’s big or little, and just staying in my corner.

He’s been doing a great job.”

Folston highlighted practice as where he believed he made the most significant growth since the injury, which he believes gave him a new perspective on the game.

“I’ve definitely got a better appreciation, not just for the game, but also for practice,” Folston said. “Practice is probably harder than the actual game — practice is where it starts, and I really got a better appreciation for that with this mindset. And a new attitude towards working. I was working hard before last year, but I just felt like I could take it up another notch, and that’s what I’m trying to do this year. Just work, and don’t let any injuries happen because if you play scared, you’re going to get hurt.

“I’m just going to keep my head clear of all things, go out and play football.”

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

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EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Senior running back Tarean Folston jukes an approaching defender during Notre Dame’s 44-6 win over Army on Nov. 12.

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MALIK ZAIRE | QB | KETTERING, OHIO

Zaire still defining Notre Dame legacy

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish senior quarterback Malik Zaire fights through an arm tackle by an Army defensive back during Notre Dame’s 44-6 win at the Alamodome on Nov. 12. Zaire ran for 35 yards in the victory.

By MANNY DE JESUS Sports Writer

Senior quarterback Malik Zaire’s story at Notre Dame is far from over.

It’s easy to narrow Zaire’s time in South Bend to a single play. In the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 34-27 win over Virginia last season, Zaire was driving the Irish down the field looking to add to the 19-14 lead. Ball on the Cavaliers’ 27-yard line, Zaire took the snap out of the shotgun and bolted right through the line of scrimmage before being brought down just three yards later.

It was at that moment that his season was taken away from him with a broken ankle, and the rest is history.

But who’s to say that Zaire’s career at Notre Dame should be defined by that one play?

The story behind the Kettering, Ohio, native starts way before he took his first steps on Notre Dame’s campus. In fact, that journey began just a few years after he took his first steps ever.

“I’ve been playing football for a good majority of my life,” Zaire said. “Probably 18 out of 21 years. I love the game, and it means a lot to me.

You can say that coming [to Notre Dame] is the pinnacle of quarterbacking playing at the highest level against high competition every weekend,

and that’s what I looked forward to, and that’s what you look at when you determine schools and places to go as a quarterback.”

From peewee football to the high school level, Zaire’s dream has always been to make it to the NFL, but more importantly, his goal was to claim the crown as football’s greatest quarterback.

In order to do that, he understood that his first task was to dominate as a high school quarterback, and he did that with ease.

He took the reigns as Archbishop Alter High School’s quarterback as a junior in 2011 and led his team to a 10-0 regular season while passing for 729 yards and rushing for 1,093, with five touchdowns through the air and 15 on the ground.

That was more than enough to get him his first offer from Cincinnati and an invite to Nike’s Elite 11 quarterback camp in the summer of 2012.

“I knew that whenever I got on the field that I would be able to show [my passion for the game], so whenever I got out there my sophomore and junior year, I really just made it happen,” Zaire said.

Ranked as the third best dual-quarterback in his class

by Rivals, the left-handed quarterback continued to rake in offers from Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Arizona and

Alabama during his junior season. However, it didn’t take long for Zaire to know exactly where he wanted to call home, with the help of his former high school football coach.

“I committed at the end of my junior year to Notre Dame, and I guess I committed pretty early in the process,” Zaire said. “But I knew what I wanted out of things, and it was a good opportunity. … Notre Dame has a lot of unique aspects that you just can’t find in other universities out there. Going here is a challenge, and, with that being said, I knew that challenge would help me as an individual, grow as a person, as an athlete and my development as an adult.”

Zaire’s commitment lit yet another fire within him in his efforts to be football’s best quarterback, and that carried over into his senior year.

In 2012 he earned Associated Press Ohio Division III Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year. He recorded 1,990 yards through the air to go along with 24 passing touchdowns, and he totaled 1,120 yards on the ground with nine scores.

Just a few months after the end of his final high school season, Zaire was on Notre Dame’s campus, and despite having to learn how to navigate through the obstacles

of being a freshman early, he never lost sight of what was important to him.

“It felt the same as it did in high school [being on Notre Dame’s football field for the first time],” Zaire said.

“I knew the value and the things that I could add to this team to win a national championship and to prove I was the best quarterback in the country. To step on the field for the first time, I knew I could make it happen here.”

After redshirting his freshman year and sitting behind former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson, Zaire finally got a shot at playing significant minutes at USC in 2014. Playing in place of a struggling Golson, Zaire led the Irish to two touchdown drives while capping his the game off with 170 yards passing and an 11-yard touchdown run.

“I just knew that I needed to be on that field,” Zaire said. “Regardless of the situation, that was my opportunity, and I had to make the most out of it. It worked out pretty good for me, and I did everything to continue to get better from there and understand that that was the next step, and getting on the field was the next step to doing what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Zaire followed up his performance against the Trojans with an MV P showing against LSU in 2014 Music City Bowl.

Even while sharing snaps with Golson throughout the game, Zaire owned the spotlight rushing for 96 yards and a touchdown while adding a passing touchdown to his stat line.

Now, it’s at that point where many believed that Zaire’s trajectory as a quarterback was only going to see more playing time and number of

successes, and for one game through the 2015 season, that was indeed the case.

In the home opener against Texas, Zaire showcased everything he was hyped up to be throughout the offseason following the Music City Bowl. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-3 rout of the Longhorns.

But the next week against Virginia is where his story took a turn. That turn may have been seen by many as one of the closing chapters of his career here at Notre Dame, but Zaire believes that it was a defining experience that molded him into who he is today and how he has grown in respect to Notre Dame as his home.

“Being injured, you never expect that, but you grow and you learn a lot about yourself in terms of how much you can handle and how much you can withstand and how strong you actually are,” Zaire said. “I had the support of the guys and the support staff through my injury, and going through that was tough, but I became a better person through that, and I learned a lot … through my time with the guys that I came here to school with …

Those teammates and those students who I interacted with in my classes, who I have lifelong friendships with, that’s what makes this place great.”

Healthy and more determined than ever about accomplishing his dream of being the game’s greatest quarterback, Zaire said that his legacy at Notre Dame isn’t ready to be defined just yet.

“I’m still writing it,” Zaire said.

Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Senior quarterback Malik Zaire drops back to pass during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium.

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JOSH ANDERSON | RB | CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA

Anderson earns scholarship through hard work

By PATRICK SKRINE Sports Writer

For graduate student running back Josh Anderson, smacking the “Play Like A Champion Today” sign and taking the field in front of a sea of blue and gold has always been a lifelong dream of his.

After making this dream a reality, Anderson is now in his last season wearing an Irish uniform, and he said is appreciating every moment he has left with his football

family.

Anderson — who was a twotime letter-winner at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California — was awarded a scholarship at the beginning of his senior season through his strong work ethic and dedication to the Notre Dame football team after three years as a walk-on. He said his journey so far at Notre Dame has been a great one and he is highly grateful.

“My experience at Notre Dame

KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer

Irish graduate student running back Josh Anderson catches a pass during warmups before the Irish played Miami on Oct. 29.

has been amazing, I absolutely love it,” Anderson said. “It’s been very challenging, but at the same time it’s been extremely rewarding.”

Anderson is a science pre-professional major at Notre Dame and is now getting his masters in the Global Health program. Anderson said he loves the strenuous academic aspect of Notre Dame and has learned to manage his time by balancing football and school.

“I love getting better physically and intellectually on a daily basis,” Anderson said. “The challenge with football and academics at Notre Dame is going to make the next steps in life easier, I feel like it’s giving me the confidence to go out and attack whatever I’m going to do in my future.”

Anderson said his father, Joe Anderson, attended Notre Dame as one of few African Americans during his time at the school and used to meet with Father Hesburgh weekly. Josh saw the example set by his dad and said ever since he was a little kid, he was motivated to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Receiving a scholarship to play the sport he loves at a school that his dad left a mark at has been rewarding for Anderson.

“It was extremely special to me, I worked my butt off for those three years before and I gave my heart and soul, and still do,” Anderson

said. “That recognition of how hard I worked felt very good and it was a dream come true, now it’s a part of history.”

At a place like Notre Dame where the football is rich in tradition and the academics are prestigious, there are obstacles that student-athletes will encounter.

“Some of my toughest challenges are having a really tough practice and then staying up until 2 or 3 a.m. for that bio or physics test the next morning,” Anderson said.

“But I think the main thing is to think to yourself why you’re doing this, who you’re doing it for, focus, pull the energy out, and take care of business.”

Despite some adversity, Anderson said he has learned a lot from the university, the football program, and from being a part of something bigger than himself.

“My experience at this school has taught me about hard work and how you can accomplish whatever you want to accomplish if you put your mind to it and work for it,” Anderson said. “Coming into this school I expected to work hard, but I never expected to be able to accomplish what I have, and now I have the confidence to pursue my goals.”

From forming a brotherhood with his teammates, to putting in unseen hours in preparation for the season, to strapping up the

pads and going all out every day in practice, Anderson said nothing has been more valuable to him than the opportunity to play for head coach Brian Kelly and his coaching staff while absorbing crucial life lessons from them.

“Not many people can say they lived out their dream, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had coming out of high school to go play for Notre Dame,” Anderson said. “Football is a sport that has helped me in every aspect of life, but the most important thing I’ve learned from Notre Dame football is the concept of moving onto the next play, if you make a bad play, it’s like having a rough test, don’t dwell on it, just move onto the next one.”

This mindset Anderson uses on the field has translated to all parts of his life. Anderson said he takes great pride in representing Notre Dame and has always trusted the process throughout his life.

Anderson added he hopes the next generation of Irish studentathletes will set themselves up for a great future, a future where they can look back on their time at Notre Dame and say the same thing he did: “I wouldn’t trade this for the world.”

Contact Patrick Skrine at pskrine@nd.edu

JESSE BONGIOVI | CB | BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Bongiovi blazes his own path at Notre Dame

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

Not many walk-on players get much attention.

Jesse Bongiovi, though, made a wave in the press when it was announced that he had made the Notre Dame football team – hardly surprising when your dad is one of the world’s biggest-selling rockstars.

Bongiovi, senior cornerback and son of Jon Bon Jovi, remains more famous for his family connections than for his play on the field for Notre Dame. But he says that he has worked hard to carve out a path for himself instead of riding his father’s coattails.

“I haven’t really noticed too much of it, but I guess there’s a bit more attention there,” Bongiovi said. “It’s kind of happened my whole life, so people have always been talking about it. But I definitely try to be my own guy. I don’t ever try to be the guy who’s like ‘Oh, look at me, my dad is somebody,’ because it really has nothing to do with me. So I’ve always just tried to keep my head down, work as hard as I can and make it for myself.”

That’s not to say the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer hasn’t had an impact on Bongiovi’s football career though. After all, it was a family trip to a Notre Dame game

that truly made Jesse realize he wanted to attend, and play for, the University.

“When I was in eighth grade, I came to a game with my dad and basically I thought about how incredible it would be to go to Notre Dame and to be on the team and what an honor it is,” Bongiovi said. “Since I was a little kid I always wanted to be here. Tying that with the history and the academics and everything, it was kind of a no-brainer for me.”

Bongiovi fulfilled that childhood dream by walking onto the team his freshman year.

However, after not seeing any game action in his first year and being kept out with an ACL injury in his second year, Bongiovi had to wait until his junior year to play in a game for the Irish, when Massachusetts visited South Bend and the cornerback saw time on special teams. Bongiovi said that although his impact was small, the memory will last forever.

“That was something I’ll never forget,” Bongiovi said. “Going out against UMass that year, we got to run down a kickoff and I didn’t even really do anything, but just kind of going out there was incredible. I was shaking like a leaf.

I kind of forgot where to go and what to do because I was just taking it in. It was an unbelievable

opportunity for sure.”

To reach that point, however, Bongiovi said he needed some guidance from some of the more experienced players, both other defensive backs and other walk-ons.

“Matthias Farley and Austin Collinsworth were both like big brothers when I first came here, and Joe Romano, who a lot of people don’t know but he was a senior walk-on when I was a freshman,” Bongiovi said. “A lot of those guys kind of took me under their wing and tried to just point me in the right direction and make sure that I was doing the right thing, really helping me get acclimated and figure out everything that was required.”

And in return, Bongiovi said he himself tried to mentor some of the current younger walk-ons.

“We had a kid come in this past spring, his name is Brian Ball, and I definitely took it upon myself to help him out, because it is hard, especially when you come in the spring, to get acclimated to all this,” Bongiovi said. “You’re kind of on the outside looking in. Guys have been there the whole season, they all already know each other and it’s hard to be the new guy. So now I try to play that role as a senior walk-on to help make sure the younger guys are doing the right thing.”

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior cornerback Jesse Bongiovi warms up before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 29.

The next path for Bongiovi isn’t clear yet, but he said he is determined to continue to make it for himself.

“I’m looking to go into wealth management in some kind of investment bank,” Bongiovi said.

“I’ve talked to a couple of firms, or I’m looking to work at a start-up.

“But I would like to move back to New York City for sure.”

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

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HUNTER BIVIN | OL | OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY

Bivin earns place in ND O-line’s ‘brotherhood’

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

Tradition and brotherhood: the two words that define Notre Dame football according to senior offensive lineman Hunter Bivin.

Being a football player at an academically elite school has its challenges, but Bivin explained the unique opportunities and bonds created while being a part of the Notre Dame football program simply cannot be simulated anywhere else.

“I think the challenge, the strenuous academics as well as the tasks demanded on the field, is the cause of a lot of adversity in our player’s lives,” Bivin said.

“Being a part of the program challenges you, and the opportunity to overcome these challenges is the glue for a bunch of the guys on the team. We form these close bonds and relationships that I don’t think there would be an opportunity for at any other place, it’s a unique challenge we all have to go through together.”

Bevin added the school’s high demands for its football players also create a unique experience that only current players and alumni understand.

“When describing the expectations of being a football player at Notre Dame, it’s not a generational element that makes our situation unique,” Bivin said. “The challenge and the adversity creating the opportunity to form brotherhood has always been there, and like the famous Lou Holtz quote, ‘It’s hard to explain unless you have experienced it.’”

And while the football program as a whole has a strong tradition, Bivin said he believes the offensive line in particular is the closest-knit unit on the team.

“When the alumni come back, the brotherhood is evident, especially as a player on the offensive line,” Bivin said. “We are such a cohesive unit, we are five guys that have to predict each other’s movements. We are probably the only group like that in a sport where five guys within a team are literally one unit. When Tim Grunhard and Andy Heck and all those guys that have been All-Americans in the past come to visit, they know what we are experiencing and they know the process. That tradition of forming those bonds is really unique to the Notre Dame football experience.”

Although the extensive hours dedicated to football on and off the field and the rigorous academics facilitate the camaraderie unique to Notre Dame, Bivin said being a student athlete constantly requires one to make sacrifices.

“It’s not easy, and I hate to say it, sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing for the other,” Bivin said.

“As offensive linemen, we always go up and watch film after practice. Sometimes if you have a lot of work to do, you have to miss a film to go write a paper. Sometimes practice runs late and you don’t

have a lot of time, or if you are tired you have to go to sleep and wake up really early to get your work done. A lot of sacrifices have to be made in order to balance the two.

It’s not easy, but you learn how to do it.”

Despite the sacrifices that accompany his dedication to football, Bivin said the sport has given him unforgettable memories for a lifetime.

“In general, getting to experience all the different atmospheres, from Clemson to Florida State to Texas, all those big time college games you see on TV all the time, would have to be a part of my favorite memories,” Bivin said. “A really underrated memory is anytime after a hard workout or practice. Just sitting in the locker room with all the boys, talking and hanging out and knowing they went through the exact same thing you did. We all have a lot of the same emotions and the same thought processes about what we just went through, and those are the times you will always remember and you will never be able to simulate it in any other field in life.”

Along with creating memories while on national television or in the locker room, Bivin said he will never forget his first time running out of the tunnel and his first game action at Notre Dame.

“I was red-shirted my freshman year and didn’t play, but I can remember running out of the tunnel for the first time and playing Temple,” Bivin said. “It was that moment I worked so hard to get to in my life and it was awesome.

As for my first game action, it was sophomore year against Michigan.

We shut out Michigan, I wasn’t a starter or anything but I got to go out and get some mop up duty. But just being a fan and loving Notre Dame for so long and not liking Michigan for so long, that being

your first game was unbelievable.”

Continuing to cherish the time spent on the field, Bivin said the current season has been difficult, but he added it challenges the team to grow and overcome adversity together, further enhancing the friendship among his teammates.

“It’s been a tough season,” Bivin said. “We work all year long and put in everything we have, and playing football you make so many sacrifices. You make sacrifices concerning academics, social life, family, and to put so much hard work into it and come out and not perform to your potential, it’s

rough. It’s been a hard process, especially to lose games as we have by one score and no more, never more than eight points.

“But you have to find the positives in it, and I think during these tough times we continue to grow closer, emphasizing the brotherhood that defines Notre Dame.”

Enjoying his time at Notre Dame as a political science major, Bivin said he plans to come back for his fifth year of eligibility and complete the three-semester long Master of Science in Management program.

“So far it’s been a pleasurable experience as a political science

major because of my interest in politics and how people think,” Bivin said. “I am thinking of coming back and completing a Masters in management, one that is for non-business majors and requires no previous experience.

After that, I am going to be honest and say I don’t have any further plans. I haven’t had a lot of time to do internships and do as much networking as I like to plan what I want to do after graduation. But I will cross that bridge when I get there.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Hunter Bivin, left, engages with a Stanford defender during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium. Bivin started his first game of the season against the Cardinal.

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JOHN CHERESON | K | ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA

Chereson fulfills lifelong dream playing at ND

By KYLE BARRY Sports Writer

Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, John Chereson spent most of his Saturdays at home watching Notre Dame football with his dad, cheering for the Irish. So for the senior

kicker, attending Notre Dame was a dream come true.

Chereson, whose parents both graduated from Notre Dame, already knew how magical and beautiful Notre Dame was.

“When I first got here for a college visit, it’s an experience I will never forget,” said Chereson.

“Seeing the golden dome, the community of Notre Dame, it’s amazing.”

The former Duncan Hall resident has found a way to balance both academics and football while pursuing a degree in IT management. Chereson said that being able to balance academics and

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior kicker John Chereson practices before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami on Oct. 29 at Notre Dame Stadium. Chereson kicked off three times in the game, including one that went for a touchback.

football has not been overly difficult given that athletes get the opportunity to schedule classes earlier and attend classes at a proper time. In addition, having classes early gives Chereson and other football players enough time in the afternoon for practice and meetings.

While on the team, Chereson said he has been fortunate to form friendships. One of these groups of friends is known as the “specialist” group.

“We are a close group,” Chereson said. “We always go out to dinner on Thursday nights just talking about what’s going on during the week and in our lives. It’s definitely a close group of mine.”

Chereson has also made lasting friendships with senior cornerback Cole Luke, senior tight end Jacob Matuska and is roommates with senior defensive end and captain Isaac Rochell.

Chereson has not been seeing much playing time since he’s been at Notre Dame, playing behind Kyle Brinda and then Justin Yoon. However, all of that changed when he finally got his chance at home against Miami back in late October.

“In the Miami game, I’ve got to kickoff. It was such an amazing experience for me,” said Chereson.

“That’s definitely the number one experience that I’ve had since I’ve

been here.”

Irish head coach Brian Kelly said in the postgame press conference after the Miami game that he was impressed on how well Chereson kicked in that game and might see more kickoff opportunities for him for the rest of the season.

“Chereson’s done a really nice job. So we wanted to give him some kicks and really take some of the load off of Justin,” Kelly said.

Chereson admits that when his name gets called for introductions Saturday and runs towards his family at the 50-yard line, he will get emotional.

“I’m planning on having mixed emotions, with a bit of both happy and sad,” said Chereson. “It’s going to be my last game, and seeing my family at the middle of field will remind me of all the good times that I’ve had here and the memories of being in the stadium.”

So what’s next for John Chereson?

Chereson has a fifth year, and he said he’s considering whether to stay at Notre Dame for one more year or transfer to another school.

“Wherever I do end up, I do intend on continuing to play football in my fifth year, trying to attain a MBA, and graduate,” Chereson said.

Contact Kyle Barry at kbarry@hcc-nd.edu

SCOTT DALY | LS | DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS

Daly seeks perfection in time at Notre Dame

By BRENNAN BUHR Sports Writer

For graduate student long snapper Scott Daly, perfection is the only standard.

“All the specialists here strive for perfection at everything that we do,” Daly said. “My idea of perfection is maybe a little bit different from someone else looking in. I try to hold myself to the highest standard every single time.”

Growing up in Downers Grove, Illinois, Daly played baseball and initially anticipated that he would continue to focus on the sport in college. However, his life was taken in a much different direction when he first took up long snapping in his sophomore year of high school.

“In high school and as a kid, I was all baseball,” Daly said.

“When I started playing football in fifth grade, I was the only kid who could long snap, but I didn’t really think much of it. My sophomore football coach Mark Wiggins really took an interest in my long snapping and advised me to work harder at it. I didn’t really think much of it at that moment either.”

However, what began as a side interest for Daly evolved into a much more serious pursuit.

“I took his advice and went to some camps with Chris Rubio, who is now my long snapping

instructor,” Daly said. “It really took off from there, and I decided to make a choice to put baseball aside and focus on football, and that got me here today.”

Daly was named national high school long snapper of the year as a member of South Downers Grove High School in 2011, and he certainly had plenty of college football programs from which to choose. However, he saw Notre Dame as much more than just an opportunity to play football. Daly graduated last year with a degree from the Mendoza College of Business, but he decided to return in 2016 for a fifth year because of his love for the University.

“Notre Dame has the whole package,” Daly pointed out. “It has incredible academics and athletics, and the spiritual aspect is really special. The whole spirit, the history, the tradition just overwhelms you. You either love it or you don’t, and me and my family just absolutely love Notre Dame, and I couldn’t be happier.”

On the football side of Daly’s life, repetition is imperative to achieve consistent success.

“Long snapping is all about the mental side of the game,” he noted. “It’s a lot like a golf swing or a baseball swing, with repetition and muscle memory. That’s the biggest thing that separates the average from the good from the

great long snappers, to be able to go out there and trust yourself and be prolific every single time.”

Pressure is another major factor that long snappers like Daly must be able to deal with, since their job is to convert 100 percent of the time.

“Whether it’s a regular punt, a regular field goal, or a gamewinning field goal, you have to treat it as the exact same thing every time,” Daly emphasized.

“Obviously, the goal is perfection.

If you make it bigger than it really is, than that’s only going to cause problems.”

Daly has recorded multiple tackles over his five-year career at Notre Dame and even recovered a fumble against Boston College last season.

“To get a fumble recovery at Fenway Park, in that special atmosphere, was pretty incredible,” Daly recalled. “That was a pretty cool moment.”

However, Daly’s most memorable moment at Notre Dame came in the 2014 Music City Bowl against LSU, when he made the snap to set up Kyle Brindza for a game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter.

“Our team was going through so much; a four-game losing streak, backs against the wall, playing a really good SEC team,” Daly said.

“To be able to come together, bond together, and find a way to win and to do it in that fashion, sending Kyle Brindza off with a gamewinning field goal, was pretty special.”

Daly’s final opportunity to run out of the tunnel next Saturday against Virginia Tech will be the culmination of a special career for the fifth-year, who has experienced everything from the undefeated regular season in 2012 to a tough series of losses this season.

“It will mean a lot,” Daly said. “It was special last year, but to know that it is actually my last time running out of that tunnel will be pretty special. I know seeing my parents being very emotional on Saturday will make me very emotional as well. Hopefully we can gear down and go out there and get a win for myself and the senior class.”

Contact Brennan Buhr at bbuhr@nd.edu

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish graduate student long snapper Scott Daly warms up before Notre Dame met Miami at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 29.

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MARQUIS DICKERSON | DL | MARIANNA, ARKANSAS

Dickerson ‘keeps it simple’ at Notre Dame

By KYLE BARRY Sports Writer

Back in 2012, a high school senior from Marianna, Arkansas, was figuring out where he was planning to go to college. Being a fan of the University of Arkansas,

Marquis Dickerson thought he was going to play football for the Razorbacks until he stepped onto the campus of Notre Dame.

“Before I visited Notre Dame, I was set on going to Arkansas, so I figured, ‘Let’s go see what Notre Dame is like.” Dickerson said.

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior defensive lineman Marquis Dickerson smiles while the team lines up for the Alma Mater after Notre Dame beat Miami.

“Honestly, the trip started off terrible.”

Dickerson lost his luggage when he was flying into South Bend from Arkansas.

“It was April when I first came into South Bend and it was snowing. All I had was a t-shirt and I didn’t get my luggage until the next day,” Dickerson said.

“Fortunately the trip ended up being positive afterwards, and it was an incredible experience so when I got back home, I knew I had a very difficult decision to make and eventually I end up choosing Notre Dame.

“It’s universal, it’s a special place and I wanted to try something new, especially being the first one from my hometown to get into Notre Dame.”

Although Dickerson hasn’t played a single down for the Irish in his four years, he said is blessed and privileged to go out onto the practice field and give everything he has.

“My uncle, who passed away over the summer, told me ‘Life is good, so keep it simple’ so on my cleats, I write ‘Keep it simple,’” Dickerson said. “That’s my mindset every day so I just get out here and play football, it’s a kid’s game.

Notre Dame is a great university and has great fans, but at the end of the day, it’s just football.”

In fact, Dickerson said the best

advice he could give to the younger players on the team is to keep it simple and have fun.

“I use my uncle’s words ‘Keep it simple’ to them,” Dickerson said.

“This is a university where we’re on the field with five-star athletes and when we wake up going to class, we’re at a five-star academic institution. Just being able to keep that mindset and know that we’re here for a reason and compete on the highest level regardless of the situation.”

Helping him ‘keep it simple,’ Dickerson said he owes a large part of his success to his family. When senior day arrives for Dickerson, he admits that there will be some emotions shown when he meets his mom and his aunt at midfield.

“I might be in tears,” Dickerson said. “My mom and my auntie will be there. My auntie is my guardian angel.”

Dickerson’s aunt was born with cerebral palsy. She is unable to walk and now has chronic asthma. Despite these difficulties, Dickerson’s aunt will attend her first Notre Dame game when the Irish take on Virginia Tech on Senior Day. “It’s going to be a special moment for me seeing my auntie, despite all of the problems that she has, and being there and enjoying the moment with me.”

While his aunt’s presence on Senior Day will certainly be a special moment, Dickerson said he has also enjoyed the many smaller special moments during his time at Notre Dame. When he’s not on the practice field, Dickerson, a business major studying management consulting, said he enjoys watching the “Family Feud” and playing Madden.

“It’s funny because when we first bought the new Madden, the controls were difficult and I felt that my roommate spent a lot of time practicing,” Dickerson said. “He’s beaten me the first few times, but I’ve been on a twomonth winning streak so I have to keep up the competitiveness and not lose.”

And it seems Dickerson’s competitiveness has payed off academically, as the senior already has a potential job lined up.

“Actually, just recently, I’ve got a job offer from a winery in Hoboken, New Jersey,” Dickerson said. “Their management development program makes up three percent of the company and everyone is like a sales representative so I would be able to be promoted to management status within two years. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Contact Kyle Barry at kbarry@hcc-nd.edu

MARK HARRELL | OL | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Harrell finds family on ND offensive line

By DARCY DEHAIS Sports Writer

Graduate student Mark Harrell found victory often as a high school tight end in Charlotte, North Carolina, making it to the state semifinal game twice to close his career. He found some success in his years at Notre Dame, too, but this time as an offensive lineman.

Switching to the line wasn’t much of a transition because of his high school’s style of play and his own, Harrell said.

“There was an average of passing the ball just three times a game,” Harrell said. “I was always blocking as it was. I had the height and the frame, so when I started getting recruited it was always for offensive line. Tight end wasn’t really in the picture because I wasn’t catching passes.”

Harrell, who was an early commit to the University, didn’t grow up with his sights set on Notre Dame, but he said it was a top institution where he could balance school and football.

“Notre Dame was the best athletic and academic combination I could find,” Harrell said. “Of all the places I visited, this was the place that had both those that both me and my family were looking for. I just felt like this was the best decision for me.”

Harrell did not see the field

until his third year, when he played center and guard in two games against Rice and Michigan.

He played in five games on special teams and as a reserve offensive lineman last season as well as participating in each game this season, including getting his first collegiate start last week against Army at the Shamrock Series in San Antonio.

As is common among offensive linemen, Harrell redshirted his freshman year. He said this gave him the opportunity to learn the ND offense and develop as a player.

“Offensive line is a position in which you have to build your strength,” Harrell said. “Not a lot of people can walk in their freshman year and play offensive line deep in the trenches that early on.

I think it was beneficial to build my strength and get to know the playbook. You get used to the speed of the game, and that, especially for an offensive lineman, is a really beneficial thing.”

Although he did not experience any game action in his first two seasons, Harrell did travel with the team to the BCS Championship game in 2013. He said the opportunity to observe upperclassmen who played an undefeated regular season helped to shape his skills as a player.

“Being a part of the 12-0 team

my freshman year was a really cool experience,” Harrell said.

“We had a lot of guys that were AllAmericans and really strong players that I got to learn from, watch and be a part of the team with.

It obviously wasn’t the result we wanted, but it was still a cool experience for me to go to a national championship that early on.”

In addition to watching his fellow players, Harrell said he was also inspired by his coach.

“Our offensive line coach, Coach [Harry] Hiestand, has been my offensive line coach since I got here,” Harrell said. “He’s really pushed us to our limit. Both on and off the field he sets a high standard that he always pushes you to meet, and he develops his players to be great.”

Part of the Notre Dame football experience is a big stage, and Harrell said he appreciates Notre Dame fans and their commitment to supporting the team.

“I’ve built a lot of great relationships over my five years here,” Harrell said. “I met a lot of interesting people from different backgrounds and different areas. It’s great playing for a fan base that comes in every game with consecutive sellouts. Such a wide and prolific fan base is really fun to play for.”

Harrell said one of his favorite parts of his time at Notre Dame

has been the community cultivated among the players on the offensive line.

“We’re probably the closest-knit group on the team,” Harrell said.

“We all love each other. I think the leaders, people like Zack Martin and Nick Martin, really established a culture for the O-line. It is a really tight knit group that does a lot of things together, and we’re all close because of it.”

Harrell lined up at right guard last week against Army, but he said that the moments he will treasure most after graduating happened not on the field, but in the quality

time spent with his teammates.

“It’s not all of the big moments like the big games,” Harrell said.

“It’s the Wednesday nights spending time with the guys you made friends with in the locker room or post-practice. If you had a tough day, you joke around and you talk about it. Things like that are often overlooked, but I know one day I’ll look back on it and miss those days. I’ll never have those back, and those are probably my favorite memories here.”

Contact Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish graduate student offensive lineman Mark Harrell looks for someone to block during his first career start against Army.

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17

OMAR HUNTER | WR | HARLINGEN, TEXAS

Hunter achieves childhood goal with Irish

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

The lifelong dream to attend Notre Dame, regardless of being on the football team, started when senior receiver Omar Hunter was only in second grade.

“Why I chose Notre Dame is more of a cliche, lifelong dream,” Hunter said. “When I was younger, being from Texas, kind of far from [Notre Dame], I went to a private, Catholic elementary school. A lot of our teachers there were ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education) teachers so quite a few of them were from Notre Dame. Quite particularly, my second grade teacher came here and he talked about it quite a lot and always mentioned how great of a school it was and that got me into researching the school.

“I am being honest when I say second grade, I can pinpoint it to that year. Ever since then, it’s been a lifelong dream to come here and I’ve been fortunate to get in and be accepted and be part of the football program as well.”

During the college decision process, Hunter said he was focused on attending a school that fit him best academically. He was accepted into Notre Dame first and then decided to try to walk-on to the football team.

“I was accepted here first and

in the spring of my senior year in high school, I talked to the football coaches and David Peloquin, who is the main recruiter, about joining the team and got in contact,” Hunter said. “I started emailing him back and forth, and I sent him my film. It was pretty surreal, and a couple days after he contacted me and told me I was going to be a preferred walk on for fall camp.

Immediately after I found out, I called my mom and was crying on the phone because I was going to have this tremendous experience for the next four years.”

Since he has made the decision to walk-on, Hunter said he could not picture attending any other university or being a part of any other football program. He said the camaraderie amongst the team and the coaches defines his experience here.

“Being on this team, the coaching staff really does care about you, the players care about each other, the training staff, strength staff, we are just one really big family,” Hunter said. “For a lot of programs, everything is separated, but here everything is stemmed together. We train together, eat meals together, practice and bond outside of football. What has been special here for me is that we are one giant family. Especially this season with all we have been going through, we really have been

able to stick together and continue to work hard every day, despite what our record may show.”

Highlighting the family atmosphere among the team, Hunter said one of his most distinct memories as part of the Notre Dame football program is his first time celebrating with the team.

“I remember the first time running onto the field my freshman year and then just getting to celebrate in the locker room after the game with the rest of the team,” Hunter said. “We were singing the fight song after the game and so many emotions were running through me. There was so much happiness and joy in the room, it truly was an incredible experience that I don’t think I will ever be able to forget.”

Along with building unbreakable bonds with the staff and his teammates, Hunter said the program has provided him with resources to succeed academically and develop as a person off the field.

“It’s been really difficult balancing school and football, but it has taught me to have really good time management skills,” Hunter said.

“We spend a lot of time here in the [Guglielmino Athletics Complex] and on the practice field doing a lot of football things, but they do leave us with enough time to get back and do work at night. It’s

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior receiver Omar Hunter, still recovering from a torn ACL, takes in warm ups in street clothes before the Irish took on Miami.

been beneficial to have our own specific tutors and counselors who do their job extremely well.”

Hunter is majoring in management consulting and added that he is grateful to have been a part of the Mendoza College of Business.

“Being part of business school has been tremendous, I’ve had so many opportunities and so many great professors,” Hunter said. “I can’t say enough about

the program. One of my favorite professors has been Laura Hollis. I had her for entrepreneurship and she was a tremendous professor and won’t be able to forget her. “ ... As for after college, I am still undecided but I have been looking into different consulting firms in Chicago.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

JACOB MATUSKA | TE | COLUMBUS, OHIO

Matuska ‘wouldn’t change any of it for the world’

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

Just as Jacob Matuska finishes answering questions about his career at Notre Dame, his fellow senior tight end and Ohio native Ben Suttman overhears Matuska’s final words and pounces on them with a joking question of his own.

“Really, you wouldn’t change any of it?” Suttman asks.

Matuska doesn’t miss a beat.

“Not a thing.”

Suttman may have only been having fun with his teammate, and if it were any other player maybe it wouldn’t mean much, but Matuska’s four years at Notre Dame have been defined by changing things — and changing them back.

After success on both sides of the ball for Bishop Hartley

KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer

Irish senior tight end Jacob Matuska catches a ball during warm ups before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami at Notre Dame Stadium.

High School in Columbus, Ohio, Matuska was seen by most recruiting services as a tight end.

Yet he chose to commit to Notre Dame, where instead of getting the ball at his favored position, he spent more of his first three years tackling ball carriers as he lined up at defensive end.

Matuska said despite not being sure if he’d get to play on offense, his love of Notre Dame from an early age made him decide to commit to the Irish, as the second member of 2012’s fourth-ranked recruiting class.

“I’ve always dreamed of coming here since I was about 10 years old,” Matuska said. “Notre Dame’s always been the school of choice for me. But when it came down to it, it was a little rough having to make such a big decision. But having a couple of visits here, and seeing what it would be like to be here, be with the team and be a part of this University and the tradition they have here, that really drew me in. It was really something special to me that made me want to come here.”

After redshirting his freshman season, Matuska appeared in seven games in 2014, including serious playing time on defense for the final three after injuries to starters. Matuska made five tackles and sacked Louisville quarterback Reggie Bonnafon during

Notre Dame’s final home game of the season against the Cardinals.

Matuska then started against USC, before suffering a shoulder injury.

Matuska said he’ll never forget the first time he stepped out onto the field for the Irish.

“It was a rush of different emotions,” Matuska said. “I was super happy that I was doing something I’d always dreamed of doing, and I was kind of proud of where I’ve come and where I’m at with my life. Getting the opportunity to do something I love at the place I’ve always dreamed of doing it is just really special. I’ll always remember that moment.”

After seeing less time in his junior year, Matuska made the switch to tight end at the end of the year. Matuska joined a long list of Notre Dame players who have had a chance to make an impact after a positional change under Brian Kelly, a list that includes fellow defensive player-turnedtight end Troy Niklas. Although he hasn’t caught a pass yet for the Irish, Matuska said he is glad to be back on offense.

“I’ve always seen tight end as something I’ve really enjoyed to do,” Matuska said. “I’ll enjoy defensive end, but I think tight end is where I’m most comfortable and where I’ll enjoy my time more. But having experience on both sides

of the ball is really something pretty special for me at least. But where I’m at now, I’m kind of glad tight end’s where I’m going to be now that I’m getting to the tail end of my career here.”

With one year of eligibility remaining, Matuska said he is open to the idea of getting one more year of play back at the position he loves, although he acknowledged that he isn’t certain of his decision.

“There’s always the potential for a fifth year,” Matuska said. “I want to finish this season strong and see where I’m out with that, but then after this season I’ll probably make my decision.”

Regardless of what he does next year or where he lines up on the field, Matuska said he’s loved his time at Notre Dame.

“I’m very happy and proud of being a senior here and being able to say that I was a football player here at Notre Dame,” Matuska said. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, and I’m really happy how it worked.

And as he finished summarizing his time at Notre Dame, Matuska said the phrase Suttman latched on to.

“I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.”

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

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COLE LUKE | CB | CHANDLER, ARIZONA

Luke shines thanks to football IQ, athleticism

By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Managing Editor

Oct. 4, 2014, will forever go down in the minds of most Irish fans as the night Everett Golson found Ben Koyack in the near corner of the end zone on fourth-and-11 to defeat then-No. 14 Stanford and keep then-No. 9 Notre Dame undefeated.

A very select few might also remember it as Cole Luke’s comingout party.

Then a sophomore, the cornerback intercepted Stanford’s Kevin Hogan twice and sacked him once on the way to a career night. The Chandler, Arizona, native added four tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup to his stat line on the night, officially announcing his arrival on the national stage.

“As far as games go, that was a crazy game, too,” Luke said. “If I were to rule one of those games [my favorite], it’d be that one.”

The senior has arguably been Notre Dame’s best cornerback since that season, amassing eight interceptions and 142 tackles in 49 career games. This success is in equal parts due to his athleticism — he was a four-star recruit ranked 133rd nationally, according to Rivals — and his on-field intelligence, a quality that has prompted Irish head coach Brian Kelly to call Luke the smartest player on his defense on more than one occasion.

“That’s definitely Mom. Mom helped me out on that one,” Luke was quick to point out, laughing. ”Obviously Dad, too, but I think that’s just my upbringing. Since I played Pop Warner, I’ve always had such intelligent coaches and they always put it upon me [that] … if you understand what you’re doing, playing fast has nothing to do with speed. It’s about if you understand the game, then you can play faster than anybody on the field.

“That was kind of just ingrained in me, and then, when I got to high school, it just took off from there.

All my coaches — it was kind of a requirement. You needed to understand the game if you were going to play well.”

Luke’s coach when he arrived at Hamilton High School also helped steer Luke on a northeasterly trajectory when it came to his collegiate career: After all, Steve Belles was a backup quarterback for Notre Dame when the program won its last national championship in 1988. Belles didn’t push his player too hard toward his alma mater, though, Luke said.

“I still think today, if [Belles] was always on my back about it, I feel like I may not have made this decision,” Luke said. “He kind of just gave me information about [Notre Dame], and he would tell me, ‘Hey, [then-safeties coach Bob] Elliott said give him a call.’ And I’d be like, ‘Alright, cool.’ He would never persuade me to do this or make me do that, which is really good because I could feel it out for myself and figure out what I liked about it. I finally made a visit or two, and that’s

when things kind of started rolling. I fell in love with it from there on out.”

While the road to South Bend wasn’t always clear, Luke said one thing about his recruiting process was.

“I wanted to leave [Arizona],” Luke said, still emphatic about the decision more than four years later. “About halfway through my recruiting process, I think I started realizing, ‘Football is not going to be forever, I need a backup.’

And that’s when I started leaning towards Notre Dame a little bit.

I didn’t want to stay in-state, so I checked ASU and U of A out of the box already, so it came down to Texas, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

“I’ve always been a big Texas fan since I was a kid. I have family out in Dallas so I think that’s why I liked Texas so much. I would go to the Red River Rivalry back in the day with my uncle, so I think it started back then.”

Belles gave Luke just enough about the Irish to tempt him, however, and the high schooler decided he had to find out why people speak so highly of Notre Dame. “[Belles] said what everybody says. I would ask him, ‘What’s so great about it?’ and he’s like, ‘I can’t. You have to go see it for yourself,’” Luke said. “He’d always tell me, ‘I want to explain it to you, but you need to go see it for yourself, and then you’ll understand what people mean.’ And I didn’t know a lot about Notre Dame, but I was like, ‘Ok, well, everyone talks so highly about this place, I’m going to go see what it’s about.’ And that was when I came down here on a visit, and I got a hint of what everybody tried to explain to me back home when I was younger.”

Life hasn’t always gone smoothly for the senior on campus. After a standout sophomore campaign, he struggled at times against other teams’ top receivers at times during his junior year. Luke said he worked hard to reverse that trend this season with the help of Irish defensive analyst Jeff Burris.

“He’s helped me a lot on my technique, just little things,” Luke said. “And somehow he’s always watching me. I don’t know how: This man has 10 eyes in the back of his head, 10 in the front. No matter what, if I have the slightest inch where my hands are down or something, he’s always there to make sure that he can tell me what I need to do to clean it up and what’s going to help.”

Luke said this immediacy has been extremely beneficial.

“It’s perfect because I have [Burris] there for damn near every rep, and I get immediate feedback,” Luke said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. “It’s different when you know you messed up, but you’re like, ‘I don’t know what I did right, let me go see in film.’ I have immediate feedback from him, which is awesome. He’ll be like, ‘Hey, you need to this,’ or ‘On that rep, this was eh.’”

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior cornerback Cole Luke wraps up Stanford sophomore running back Bryce Love during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford on Oct. 15. Luke had two interceptions when the Irish played Stanford in 2014.

Now, as his career donning the blue and gold draws to a close, Luke said it’s too hard to pin down a specific favorite memory from his time at Notre Dame.

“I’ve had so many — it’s hard. I think my favorite is just we always have a select few games — no, I don’t even think it’d be a game,”

Luke said, trying to work through his memory bank. “I think it’s just being with the guys in the locker room, just our locker room culture and brotherhood we have in there is second to none. You always look forward to just being with the guys and just hanging out after practice, chilling before you take a shower, PAID ADVERTISEMENT

just little things like that.

“And obviously the fan base and the atmosphere of the games all around. I don’t think I have one favorite memory. We’ve had a lot of close games. I love all of them.”

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

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AVERY SEBASTIAN | S | MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA

Sebastian takes the long road to South Bend

By MICHAEL IVEY Sports Writer

It’s been a long, winding road through college football for sixth-year graduate student safety Avery Sebastian.

He started his career at California, earning accolades on special teams as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending injury in the first game of his junior season.

Sebastian came back strong and recorded 21 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in seven games he played his senior year at Cal. With an added year of eligibility due to the injury, Sebastian decided to transfer and play his fifth year at Notre Dame.

Sebastian said getting to play alongside an old high school friend of his influenced his decision to transfer.

“I felt like there were a lot of new opportunities for me here,” Sebastian said. “Definitely being here and being able to play with one of my high school teammates, [senior defensive lineman] Isaac Rochell. I was able to come into the new graduate program and the business management programs, which was huge to get my master’s degree while playing my one last year. It ended up being two years but that’s fine.

“It’s also just a school I grew up watching. They are committed to excellence here and it’s one of the greatest schools you could ever go to, so I was just extremely blessed to have this opportunity.”

Sebastian, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound safety from

McDonough, Georgia, said he chose his football position after playing another physical sport — one not often associated with his humid home state.

“I grew up playing hockey, and in hockey, you have to be really physical,” Sebastian said. “I was a defenseman and a forward, so when I translated over to football I wanted to be one of those guys that could defend people and go out and if I needed to make a physical play I could do that. I feel like safety was the best position for me. If you culminate all of those abilities and put it one, safety is that position.”

In 2015, Sebastian was supposed to be a starter for the Notre Dame defense. Instead, Sebastian suffered the alltoo-familiar experience of a season-ending injury in the season opener against Texas.

“That was extremely difficult,” Sebastian said. “When I first got here, I was expected to play a major role for the team and last year was a good year for Notre Dame. I wish I could have been able to contribute but once I got injured, I was in the film room and the coaching rooms, coaching the guys and making sure I was still a part of the team and doing my duties.”

Despite uncertainty after he got injured, Sebastian was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He has recorded 16 total tackles (13 of them solo) and one pass deflection in nine games this season.

Sebastian said the help and support from his teammates, friends and family, including the memory of an

old teammate, helped him get through his recovery.

“Playing this year has been great, and one of the things that has helped me is a lot of the people I have played with aren’t playing anymore or they don’t have the opportunity to do this big thing,” Sebastian said. “Also, my mom and my brother have helped me, of course.

“One of my really close friends passed away my junior year at Cal, Ted Agu, while working out. He passed away right in front of us. We’re just still playing for him. That’s why I always post the number 35.”

Sebastian graduated from California with a degree in sociology, and said trying to juggle both his football and academic commitments can be a struggle sometimes as he pursues his master’s.

“It is extremely hard,” Sebastian said. “You have to really have an incredible plan because you have to be committed to excellence in your academics and athletics. At Notre Dame, it’s really unique because when you’re on the football team and on the practice field every day you have to excel because the people you’re going against are the best people in the country as well. You have to be on you’re a game every practice, which is really strenuous. You have to do the extra things outside of practice just for practicing for games.

“Then when you are in the classroom, you’re with some of the smartest people in the world, and you can’t get left

behind. The moment you get left behind is the moment you’ll be kicked out of the program or you won’t be at Notre Dame anymore. So it’s extremely hard and has to do a lot with time management.”

After his six years as a college football player are up after this season, Sebastian said what he’ll miss most is being around the coaches and teammates that made the experience so memorable.

“I would say just being in the locker room day in and day out,” Sebastian said. “I would

say everything from this year, even though it’s a tough year, we’ve had a lot of good games that have come down to the last second. We’re playing in Texas in that unbelievable atmosphere and playing here at home games. Beating Miami on last second plays.

“Even just being around these guys, that’s what I’m going to miss once I leave football, so I’m just trying to cherish every second.”

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish sixth-year graduate student Avery Sebastian, on the ground, helps tackle a Duke player during Notre Dame’s loss Sept. 24.

JOHN MONTELUS | DL | EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS

Montelus finds inspiration in Brazil

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Writer

On Sept. 6, 2014, the Irish ended their yearly rivalry with Michigan by shutting out the Wolverines, 31-0, under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium.

It was a game that Notre Dame fans will not forget in the near future.

The same is true for Notre Dame senior offensive lineman John Montelus, but for a different reason: Montelus made his collegiate debut against Michigan, which he said he considers the highlight of his career.

“It meant a lot to me, especially now because I haven’t played a game in a while,” Montelus said. “It was really big, and it was against Michigan, so that was like really huge, you know. That was like a dream. So, I was really excited for that. … It was a while since I had really played football.

I was injured throughout my freshman year, so getting that

first snap in a while, that was really big.”

Montelus, who hails from Massachusetts, was a top recruit coming out of high school. He helped lead his team to three division titles and was the first lineman to be a finalist for the ESPN Boston Mr. Football Award. While he had a variety of choices with respect to college football, Montelus said nothing compared to Notre Dame in terms of the combination of academics and athletics.

“I chose [Notre Dame] because it was good academically,” Montelus saud. “It was going to challenge me academically and with athletics.”

Montelus noted that the appropriate balance between the school and football can be difficult to come by, but some of his teammates have provided the support necessary for him to power through.

“It’s pretty hard [to balance academics and athletics],”

Montelus said. “You have to basically just make sure you have everything straight. You can’t really just let things go. You have to always get help. You can’t just keep thinking, ‘Oh, I’m fine with school.’ Just, get your help and get your stuff done. It’s really hard. Not anyone could do it. … I would say [former Irish lineman] Steve Elmer [is a role model]. When things got tough academically, he kind of talked to me and told me to just calm down and get through it.”

Montelus, a sociology major, has hopes of going to graduate school to achieve a masters degree in business after he graduates in the spring. The lineman developed an interest in the business world after studying abroad in São Paulo, Brazil, over the summer.

“I want to pursue business because I recently went abroad this summer and I took a business course and that was really interesting,” Montelus said. “I’m

taking a couple business courses right now and I feel like, I feel business is my thing now, since I took all these little business courses, so it would be great to have a master’s in business.”

Montelus discussed the fact that taking the “Doing Business in Brazil” class over the summer afforded him a unique opportunity to dive into the business world head-first and participate in a valuable hands-on experience.

“We learned about the Brazilian economy, and we helped this company, a cosmetics company, Natura, with their portfolio,” Montelus said. “We helped them out. It was really fun.”

While business school is in sight for Montelus down the line, his short-term goals are focused on Notre Dame football.

Currently he is striving to help his team bounce back from a difficult season and has goals of the Irish earning a spot in the

postseason.

“My goal is to help our team win right now,” Montelus said.

“Just make it to a bowl game; just finish strong.”

As his Notre Dame career comes to a close, Montelus looked back at the start of his experience as a member of the team. He discussed the fact that nothing can compare to running out onto the field sporting the gold helmet and Notre Dame jersey, and that it gives him a rush that never gets old. “[Running out of the tunnel for the first time] was just amazing; you know what I mean,” Montelus said. “Going from high school to going through the tunnel, that’s just huge, you know.

It’s just like, I got goosebumps.

When you run out, you see like 80,00 fans and it’s just, it’s really amazing. Every time I run out it still feels amazing.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

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DREW RECKER | S | LINDENHURST, ILLINOIS

Recker opens doors for himself at Notre Dame

By RYAN LOKHORST Sports Writer

Attending Notre Dame has provided Drew Recker with a complete college experience. The senior safety from Lindenhurst, Illinois, said he has managed to combine his academic, football and social life to create a memorable four years.

His decision to attend Notre Dame came down to the friendly, community atmosphere.

“I visited and I really liked the people. People held doors open for you, smiled at you, said ‘Hi’ when you walked past them,” Recker said. “It was the only place I went to that was like that.”

The community aspect has existed throughout his career here but especially among his teammates. Recker said he is very close to his teammates and has shared some of his best experiences with them.

“I live with my teammates. We got a house off campus sophomore year,” Recker said. “We’ve done a lot of crazy things together.

[Seniors] Isaac Rochell, Cole Luke, John Chereson, Durham Smythe, Colin McGovern, we’ve all rotated through the house.”

He also shared a funny story that Recker said was one of the highlights of his college years. In typical college student fashion,

Recker and his friends spontaneously decided to take part in an event on a whim.

“Two days before the Fisher Regatta, Isaac, Cole, John and I decided we would build a boat,” Recker said, laughing at the day.

“We drove around town salvaging parts for it. Old box spring mattress, old tires, we just got whatever we could get donated to us and built a raft. It was a lot of fun.”

However, it isn’t only fun and games as a student athlete. There are only so many hours in one day, and when you must combine classes, practice, weightlifting, tutoring and more there is a serious time crunch. Recker said he knows this as well as anyone.

“You have to be really organized, and you don’t have a lot of time for anything else.” Recker said “I have every minute of every day mapped out.

“When I wake up I have 15 minutes to work on homework before I weightlift. Then after weightlifting I have 20 minutes before my class so I can do an assignment.”

All the hard work in the classroom is paying off as Recker will graduate in the spring with a neuroscience degree. He is not exactly sure where his career will take him, but the current plan is to attend medical school after graduation.

Recker has also translated his

academic work ethic to the football field. As a walk-on freshman Recker was excited to be a part of the Notre Dame football program, but he said he immediately put things in perspective as he ran out of the tunnel for his first game.

“It was awesome running out of the tunnel. Being a walk-on it was cool running out of the tunnel, but I realized I need to play,” Recker said. “It’s one thing to walk out of the tunnel but it’s another to actually play so I worked my butt off.”

He made it a mission to constantly work hard, and it paid dividends as he eventually achieved his goal of gaining playing time.

Even though it hasn’t been much, Recker said his best career highlight was the Boston College game in 2015.

“One of first times I played was in the Shamrock Series last year in Fenway Park,” Recker said. “And my dad is one of the biggest Red Sox fans I’ve ever met in my life”.

The game ended in a 19-16 Irish victory, but the final score or opponent wasn’t as significant as the opportunity to share a special moment with his dad.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to travel and play in the game until the Thursday of that week,” Recker said. “So I called him on Thursday and was like ‘Hey, you want to come watch your son play

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior safety Drew Recker adjusts his helmet before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 29.

in Fenway Park?’ He immediately bought a ticket that day and came up and saw me.

I only got one play but I still played in Fenway Park.”

The memory of suiting up for the Fighting Irish at one of the

most historic sports venues in the country with his father in attendance is something Recker said he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Contact Ryan Lokhorst at rlokhors@nd.edu

COLIN MCGOVERN | OL | NEW LENOX, ILLINOIS

McGovern earns starting nod against Texas

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

Gaining a starting position this year against Texas is Colin McGovern’s biggest accomplishment so far during his football career.

“Just being a starter here has probably been my biggest

accomplishment, just because of how far I have come,” McGovern said. “It’s not that it hasn’t been done, it’s just the fact that I came in not playing, and it came down to my senior year whether or not I’d get to be a starter. The fact that I came out on the other side of campus senior year as a starter — it’s huge to me. I wasn’t sure what I

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Colin McGovern, front, engages a Navy defender during Notre Dame’s loss to the Midshipmen on Nov. 5.

would have done next year had I not gotten a spot and proven myself. It’s been huge for this year and especially next year, since I plan to come back.”

Although McGovern’s first game action was during his sophomore season against Rice, he said starting against Texas was the most significant game to him personally.

“Starting this year against Texas on the road — it was just completely wild,” McGovern said.

“Obviously there is nothing like a home game, but opening up against Texas for your first game as a Notre Dame starter is pretty wild, too. Getting down there and stepping onto the field, it was just a sea of orange; you couldn’t see anything other than orange. I was obviously excited, and nervousness naturally came along with it. But it was awesome and a highlight of my career here.”

Reflecting on his four years being a part of the Notre Dame football program, McGovern said the brotherhood among this teammates and the program’s resilience continues to impress him.

“I’d say the brotherhood and togetherness of the team makes the Notre Dame experience special,” McGovern said. “Just the fact that you are in a locker room full of guys that are willing to fight for one another. It’s in a sense that you see your teammates in the weight

room or on the field, giving everything they got, and that motivates you too because you don’t want to be the guy that’s not getting better.

We all hold each other accountable. Just the resilience you see here too is special. If you look at this season, there are more losses than wins, but we are still going out there everyday and fighting to get better and at least make a bowl game.”

Similarly to many of his teammates, McGovern mentioned that time management has been one of his biggest challenges during his years here.

“Staying on top of academics and football is a constant challenge,” McGovern said. “Although they say football is 20 hours a week, that’s just what the coaches have with you; there is way more that goes into it. Time management is crucial, whether it’s trying to cram a 20 minute nap to have enough energy to make it through practice or finding time to study for a test you have at seven in the morning when you have spring ball practice right before then. It’s been difficult, but it’s definitely has been most beneficial things to learn as well.”

While juggling academics and football has been demanding, the strenuous academics is what drew McGovern here in the first place.

“I remember when I was

listening to Adam Sargent talk about the academics, I was sold on coming here,” McGovern said.

“I’d already kind of seen the tradition and all the history, and I knew about the strong football culture.

But what drew me here, and I am sure you heard from other players as well, is the degree. The degree and everything that accompanied the degree set Notre Dame apart and fully got me excited about attending Notre Dame.”

As a student in the Mendoza College of Business, McGovern is majoring in management consulting. Considering plans after graduation, he does not know where his degree will take him.

“If I don’t go to the NFL, I’d hopefully find a job within the business world, maybe something in sales, but I have no idea to be honest,” he said. “… The best advice I have gotten is to live in the present, and it didn’t really click until recently; it didn’t really settle in until probably a few weeks ago — I just thought about how I have at most another year here. Looking back, I remember walking in here as a freshman and thinking I’d be here forever. Now I am sitting on the other side and it is crazy. Best advice is to live in the moment and not take anything for granted.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

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AUSTIN ROSS | RB | CONYERS, GEORGIA

Austin Ross walks onto team with twin brother

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Writer

The road to Notre Dame Stadium was not a short or easy path for senior running back Austin Ross.

For Ross, being a Notre Dame student and a Notre Dame

football player has been a lifelong dream.

“I always grew up liking Notre Dame,” Ross said. “My dad basically told me I need to come here because it’s a good education, Catholic, best of the best, smart people go there. ‘If you want to have a good future,

KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer

Irish senior running back Austin Ross paces the field before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 29.

go to Notre Dame, it’s a really good school.’ “ … I grew up watching Notre Dame football. One of my oldest memories is playing football when I was like four years old and running Notre Dame right, Notre Dame left.”

Ross initially enrolled at Holy Cross with his twin brother Bailey before transferring to Notre Dame his sophomore year. The twins both tried out for the football team that year and were officially added to the roster in the spring. Ross said the transition to the team was a difficult but worthwhile one.

“I was pretty good in high school, and it’s a whole different world when you join a [Division I] football program,” Ross said.

“Now, it takes a lot to adjust and you play at a higher level when you play with that kind of competition. … There’s huge time commitments, there’s all kinds of stuff that you would never even imagine going into it, from like the nutrition room, to training, to weight lifting. And it’s definitely challenging, but it’s also worth it. It’s awesome.”

According to Ross, being a member of the team and running out of the tunnel for the first time felt like nothing short of a fantasy.

“As a student, I remember my first game freshman year.

… I was thrilled because I was like ‘Wow! I get to go to a Notre Dame football game, I get to do this all year,’” Ross said. “But I remember running out [of the tunnel] against Texas my junior year, and it was unbelievable. I remember looking at the stadium, looking to the left side and I couldn’t believe that I had the gold helmet on and I was about to run out. I don’t even remember what happened next. I was just on the sideline. It was, that was one of those experiences that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, and it’s not that significant, nothing happens, it’s just like, those are the moments that change your life.”

One of the highlights of Ross’ Notre Dame football career has been having the opportunity to walk-on with his twin. For Austin, playing football without Bailey, also a running back, at his side, would be unimaginable and being able to do so has added an entirely new level of value to his experience.

“That’s the most important thing in my life, is to be able to go to Notre Dame with my brother, but also play football with him,” Ross said. “And it’s just, it’s an unbelievable experience … just living our dream together is the most important thing to me. It wouldn’t mean as much if I was just on my own.

I’ve loved Notre Dame football as long as I can remember, it’s really important to me.

“But my brother is probably the most important thing to me, so being able to combine those two things is just the best and it’s indescribable that I get to do that.”

In addition to his academic and athletic commitments, the former Alumni president has also managed to get involved in campus in other ways. He joined former football player and Student Body President Corey Robinson, whom Ross refers to as a role model, in student government this year as a member of the Department of Residence Life.

As his senior season comes to an end, Ross has completed some of his biggest goals, such as travelling to a game, as he dressed for the Shamrock Series in San Antonio. While Ross has another goal in mind, he said his Notre Dame experience has been an incomparable one.

“I would like to be on special teams, but it’s not a make it or break it,” Ross said. “I’m not going to be depressed if I don’t make it. Just being on the team is good enough for me. … [It’s been] a dream come true.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

BAILEY ROSS | RB | CONYERS, GEORGIA

Bailey Ross balances football, academics

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Writer

For Bailey Ross, a life-long dream of attending Notre Dame was superseded only by the dream of playing football for the University.

And although Ross’ route to these dreams was not a short or straight one, the Conyers, Georgia, native has achieved them both.

Ross said his journey to Notre Dame, and the Notre Dame football team, began when he was very young. “[It was a] lifelong dream, I guess you could say,” Ross said. “I wanted to go here my whole life and grew up a Notre Dame fan, you know, parents are huge Notre Dame fans, so once I got here, it was kind of a no-brainer for me [to try out for the team].”

However, it was not as easy as walking onto campus and onto the team to start freshman year for Ross. He began his college career across the street from Notre Dame at Holy Cross and noted that the transition to Notre Dame when he transferred sophomore year was a difficult one, especially due to the increased academic rigor.

After spending one season playing interhall football, Bailey, along with his twin brother Austin, decided to try to walk on to the Notre

Dame football team. The brothers, both 5-foot-10 running backs, made the team together, which, according to Bailey, was a dream come true.

“As soon as I found out, I gave [Austin] a big hug and called my dad,” Ross said. “It was a big family celebration. So that meant a lot to me. It’s something that I’ll get to tell my kids about and my grandkids about. It was really great.”

The outcome was ideal for both twins, and Bailey added that being able to play alongside his brother makes his Notre Dame experience all the more worthwhile, especially since they both play the same position.

“It was definitely more special that we both made it because it’s kind of like a life-long pal,” Ross said. “We do everything today, live together, for the past 21 years. … There’s no competition between us. We support each other 100 percent. We give each other pointers, all that. I mean, there’s competition in the sense we push each other to give our best, but there’s no ‘I’m better than you, you’re better than me.’”

While the experience has been one Ross would not trade for anything, he noted that, as a neuroscience major with goals of becoming a doctor, the balance between school and football can be a difficult one to find.

“When you come to school here and then you decide to be a student athlete, you have to figure out what your priorities are fast,” Ross said. “So for me, that’s always been school, but then I had to add football. So, I’ve had to sacrifice other parts of my life. So, in order to major in science, be pre-med, play football, all that, and still be successful enough to do what I want to do after Notre Dame, after football, I had to sacrifice other parts of my life. And it worked out fine.”

While the balance between school and football can be tough, Ross said there have been various role models who have helped him along the way. “[Running backs coach Autry Denson is] a big role model of mine,” Ross said. “I think he’s a great model of who you should strive to be in terms of character and as a professional. Very committed, very devoted, but also very caring and he’s very sympathetic, empathetic to what you’re going through. He’s always there. And [graduate student running back] Josh Anderson. He, when I first got on the team, he kind of showed me the ropes. He was very patient with me, and stuff. Now he’s one of my best friends.”

When Ross is not studying or on the football field, he dedicates time to volunteering at Riley

High School in South Bend as a wrestling coach. Ross was a statechampion wrestler in high school and does what he can to give back to the South Bend community.

Ross also travelled to Nicaragua with Global Medical Brigades his freshman year and writes for the Irish Rover.

And while Ross prepares for his final run onto the field as a member of the Notre Dame football team, he noted that nothing can compare to the first time he ran out of the tunnel in Notre Dame

Stadium with his gold helmet on.

“No. No. I can’t,” Ross said when asked how he’d describe running out of the tunnel for the first time.

“There’s not really any words to describe that. I guess growing up, you’re a Notre Dame fan dreaming about doing it. And then doing it for the first time in a night game against University of Texas, there’s no words. I can’t tell you. …

I have chills, goosebumps.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer

Irish senior running back Bailey Ross warms up before Notre Dame’s game against Miami. Ross is a walk-on along with his brother, Austin.

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BUSTER SHERIDAN | WR | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Sheridan gets creative to earn tryout at ND

By BRENNA MOXLEY Sports Writer

As far as walk-on stories go, Buster Sheridan’s might just claim the crown for taking the most guts.

When the senior receiver chose to attend Notre Dame, he assumed that his career in football had come to a close.

However, his dad encouraged him to try out, explaining that he really had nothing to lose by doing so. Sheridan gave the football office a call early in the summer following his senior year of high school to express an interest in trying to walk-on to the team. He didn’t hear back right away but continued to work out in hopes that he would receive the opportunity to try out.

When the school year began, he and his dad decided to attend a luncheon for student athletes who were on scholarship.

He approached the table full of nametags and said, “Sheridan.”

Workers explained that his name was not there, but after assuming it was a mistake, they wrote his name on a nametag in marker. Buster walked around, found someone from the football department, and got a business card — exactly what he had gone there for.

He called, set up a meeting

and then arranged a tryout — and it all fell into place from there.

Buster experienced life in the student section at the first home game his freshman year, but at the start of the next game, he ran out of the tunnel and joined the Notre Dame squad on the sideline and has not missed a practice the four years he has been a member of the squad.

“Running out of the tunnel the first time was the number one thing for me,” Sheridan said.

“My freshman season in general was a season of firsts: the first time running out of the tunnel and the first time putting on the uniform. I remember looking back on it after and thinking it was the most amazing thing in the world, and I never wanted it to end.

“I still feel that way.”

Sheridan knew even before he was accepted as a student he wanted to attend Notre Dame: The senior receiver from the south side of Chicago has been a Notre Dame fan his entire life — even his dog’s name is Rudy.

“We are the typical Notre Dame family,” Sheridan said.

“Literally, I had baby pajamas that said ‘ND’ on them.”

Buster is majoring in civil engineering with a minor in corporate practice, and he said

one of his biggest challenges is balancing his athletic and academic workloads.

“It’s a huge commitment; I work a full-time job in school with engineering, but then I also work a full-time job here with football. It was really hard, but after freshman year — when you figure out how to study and see how things work in college — is when I had finally realized that I could balance it all, and it’s only gotten better since then.”

Sheridan recently accepted a job with ARCO/Murray National Construction as a project manager after interning with the company this past summer.

“It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders; it’s been quite a process,” Sheridan said with a smile.

Reflecting on his experiences at Notre Dame, Sheridan made it a point to thank his parents for making his four-year journey attainable.

“Coming from a family of Notre Dame fans, I have nobody to thank more than my parents; without them this wouldn’t be possible,” Sheridan said. “Along my process there’s been a lot of ups and downs. I have had bumps and bruises, which puts a lot of stress on you mentally, but my parents were always a good outlet for me and I could

KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer

Irish senior receiver Buster Sheridan runs a route during warm ups before Notre Dame’s victory over Miami at Notre Dame Stadium.

always talk to them — without them I couldn’t have done any of this. I’m super grateful that I have been able to do this.

“Even though I’ve never

played or anything I don’t regret it. I would do it over again.”

Contact Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu

BEN SUTTMAN | TE | KETTERING, OHIO

Suttman fulfills lifelong dream at Notre Dame

By JOE EVERETT Sports Writer

For senior tight end Ben Suttman, simply attending the University of Notre Dame was an aspiration since childhood.

Getting to play football for the

Irish has been icing on the cake.

The Kettering, Ohio, native has strong familial ties to Notre Dame, as his dad attended the University, and so the experience of and familiarity with Notre Dame had a strong impact on Suttman’s desire to someday

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior Ben Suttman walks over to the student section to sing the Alma Mater after Notre Dame’s loss to Michigan State on Sept. 17.

go to school in South Bend.

“It started with my family, obviously — I’ve been a huge Domer fan my whole life,” Suttman said. “I grew up coming to games, grew up on campus, and so I was attracted to this place from a very young age.

I can remember back in fourth grade setting a goal to come to Notre Dame, and so from a young age I was molded into the type of person that comes to this University: a strong person who’s faith-filled and academic, but at the same time I had a passion for sports, so I think that combination really put me in a good spot.”

Suttman went to high school at Archbishop Alter and was teammates there with three other Notre Dame players: sophomore cornerback Nick Coleman, sophomore wide receiver Chris Finke, and senior quarterback Malik Zaire. Although Suttman was not offered a scholarship out of Archbishop Alter, he was still able to walk-on to the team his freshman year — an opportunity he says he will cherish forever.

“To be able to extend your athletic career past high school is an opportunity that so few people get, and to do it at a university that I have such a deep love for is something that’s been

incredibly special for both me and all those that I’ve been able to share the experience with,” Suttman said. “Having this perspective as a walk-on has given me a tremendous insight into the dichotomy of being at the top of the game — I play for Notre Dame — but there are a lot of times where I’m at the bottom of the rung here, so it’s given me a tremendous perspective for what it’s like to be on both ends of the spectrum. At the same time though, getting the chance to play for Our Lady, the fans of Notre Dame — just the passion that people have for this University is just an experience of a lifetime. I’ve been incredibly blessed, no doubt.”

Notre Dame is famous for its recent tradition of producing quality tight ends — many of which are still playing in the NFL. Anthony Fasano, John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas and Ben Koyack have all passed through Notre Dame on their way to the NFL, and Suttman not only understands the legacy that he’s entered into, but greatly appreciates the help that he’s received along the way.

“When I came in [as a walkon], I worked under Ben Koyack a lot,” Suttman said. [Ben’s] not exactly our most famous tight

end, but Ben’s a guy who really taught you how to come to work every day, and that’s not something you can really take for granted. So Ben’s a guy that really ushered me into ‘Tight End U’ and helped me understand what college football is like — what kind of player you have to be at this level.”

After graduation, Suttman, a marketing major, plans to move to Baltimore and start work with Under Armour after interning there this past summer. From unique moments such as catching the last pass on the grass field inside Notre Dame stadium in the spring game to the everyday routine with the team, Suttman considers himself the luckiest man in the world to have been able to play football for Notre Dame.

“It’s been a tremendous blessing,” Suttman said. “I’m the luckiest guy ever to actually be on this team — a lot of walkons have crazy stories about how they got here and I’m no exception. I thank God every day for the opportunity to play here — the guys I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had — it’s been extremely tough along the way, but definitely worth it.”

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

24

INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

OPPONENT

Evans leads strong offense

By BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor

At the beginning of this season, very few teams were in the position Notre Dame and Virginia Tech were.

Both teams had a big question mark at the quarterback spot, but they also had several potential answers on their roster. For the Irish (4-6), the battle was between two in-house options, as junior DeShone Kizer ultimately beat out senior Malik Zaire for the gig.

For the Hokies (7-3, 5-2 ACC), the choice was a threeway race between a redshirt senior — Brenden Motley — and two new entries to the program: junior-college transfer Jerod Evans and freshman Josh Jackson. After a battle that lasted throughout fall camp, Evans eventually laid claim to the job.

He and the Hokies haven’t looked back since.

Through 10 games, Evans is both the top aerial and ground threat for Virginia Tech. Through the air, the junior has thrown for 2,525 yards and 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions. As a runner, he has accounted for another 608 yards and six touchdowns, both team-best marks.

While his ability as a dual-threat quarterback has spurred on much of his success, throwing to the program’s best receiver hasn’t hurt either. Junior Isaiah Ford has already worked his way to the top of the program’s marks in receptions (189) and touchdowns (24), and he finds himself just 216 yards short of the notching the third and final top spot on the Virginia Tech career leaderboard for receivers.

Simply put, Evans and Ford are, on paper, the top quarterback-receiver duo the Irish will face this season.

But they might not be catching them quite at their best.

Through its first eight games, Virginia Tech scored just over 36 points per game and accumulated 450 yards per game. But in their last two contests, the Hokies have found themselves scoring just 24 and 20 points, leading to a close win over an underwhelming Duke team on Nov. 5 and a loss to Georgia Tech this past Saturday.

“Well, I think there are probably several things you could point to,” Hokies head coach Justin Fuente said of his team’s recent offensive struggles. “ … There’ve been some things that we’ve had to do a little bit differently, and

our overall execution in those things hasn’t been real clean.

The thing that, just talking to the offensive staff, [we] may be most disappointed in is — and I’m not taking away from what other people are doing, I think they’re doing a good job and making adjustments — some of our execution on some very fundamental things that don’t show up in the stat line … just hasn’t been as sharp as it needs to be.”

While execution has been part of the problem, another contributing factor could very well be the different looks the Hokies offense has seen in recent weeks. Both Fuente and Ford have noticed defenses making a concerted effort to keep the ball in front of them against the Hokies, taking away explosive plays that opened things up for the offense early on in the season.

“That’s something that we expected early in the season as the season went on,” Ford said. “We knew that teams would try to not let us take the roof off of the defense and things like that, but we’re just going to have to get more plays with yards after the catch. And that starts in our [receiver] room. … We have to accept that challenge and start to make more plays when we get the ball in our hands.”

While the recent problems have not hampered Virginia Tech thus far, as it still controls its own destiny in the ACC’s Coastal division, the Hokies are still hoping to find the solutions sooner rather than later. Ultimately, Evans thinks it just comes down to spreading the wealth and not locking into one read or one player, even if that player is Ford.

“I say get everybody more involved … not just a couple people,” Evans said. “I think once that happens, you’ll see more execution.”

And a nonconference matchup with Notre Dame before they put an ACC championship-game berth on the line against Virginia might just be the type of challenge the Hokies need to step up and rediscover their earlier form on offense.

“This is a great opportunity,” Fuente said. “I think that it comes at a good time for us to go on the road and play a very talented team in what I’m sure will be a hostile environment as we continue to grow as a team and try to improve.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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