Campus News:
Rex Rakow, the former director of Notre Dame Security/Police for three decades, passed away recently. Rakow, 55, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2005. He succumbed to the disease a year and a half later.
Commencement is changing this year. Breaking from the tradition of one ceremony, a separate commencement will he held for Master's and Ph.D. graduates from the Graduate School. The decision was made last semester. The undergraduate commencement will be shorter by about half an hour. The ceremony should clock in under two hours.
The Graduate School was alerted to the change last November in a letter from Father Jenkins. The decision was made by Jenkins, Provost Tom Burish, and Donald Pope-Davies, the Dean of the Graduate School. The decision came from suggestions of faculty members and deans of other colleges. The separate event will allow for more focus on the accomplishments of the graduate students. All doctoral and Master's degree recipients will be recognized. Time will allow for the presentation of the Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Graduate School Awards which in the past were only listed aloud. Another reason for the separation was to allow a keynote speaker that was more in line with Masters's and Ph.D. recipients.
Fewer graduate students at the main commencement means more tickets available for undergraduates. The Graduate School students will still receive two or three tickets, but their ceremony will be held in the 900-seat Leighton Hall of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continuation of last week's story...
Once Girl #1 had departed, our hero decided to gain back his man-points and proceeded to take a second industrious young (don't worry, completely legal) female to observe the marvelous interior decor of his bedroom. Unfortunately, they were both too impaired to look at his "Love Actually" posters, so they decided to observe the plaid pattern on his bedspread instead. After the tour of all our hero had to offer was over, Girl #2 quietly let herself out of the apartment (exactly the way all of the Gipp's favorite dates end). One quick bathroom break later, our champion went back to his room and collapsed on the bed, completely spent. Only to find...another girl! This third and final female student was the most industrious of them all. Despite our protagonists's best attempt at playing dead, yet again, it didn't work out. This last go-getter would not be denied. It must have been the extra Axe Body Spray our hero put on that night. Or maybe it was the fact that the third girl was trying to prove that brunettes really do have just as much fun as blondes. The next morning, the hero woke up to some eh...."evidence" of his randy activities. Let's just say he wore turtlenecks to church that Sunday (and to class the day after).
Hall Notes:
Current and recent Vermin have probably never known the joy of a Carroll Hall movie night. Now that the students have cable and DVD players in practically every room, there is no need to gather at one location to enjoy a movie. Back in the day we actually had a Movie Commissioner, as I recall. I don't remember the specific day of the week (Wednesday?), but I do remember the nightly viewings in the 24-hour lounge during finals of my spring semester freshman year. The viewing I remember the most was of "National Lampoon's Vacation." We went with VHS cassette in the mid '90s and the room was packed. The lights were out and the laughs were plentiful. Vermin of all years were in attendance and, as I recall, there were even female friends from other dorms. Sure, we had all seen the movie before. But there's nothing like whistling zip-a-dee-do-da out of your a-hole amongst friends.
NDSportscenter:
In case you have not heard, the hockey team won the CCHA tournament for the first time in school history. The title was claimed by knocking off Lake Superior State 3-0 and Michigan 2-1. Goaltender David Brown was phenomenal. No wonder he was named the CCHA Player of the Year. Not to be outdone, Coach of the Year went to Jeff Jackson. And we also placed three on the All Rookie Team: center Kevin Deeth, left wing Ryan Thang, and defenseman Kyle Lawson. But let's get back to goalie David Brown. He led the nation in victories with 27. He was also first in goals against average with 1.64. His five shutouts put him third. And his .927 save percentage came in at fourth.
Obviously the hockey team made the 16-team NCAA tournament. We entered the tournament as the #1 team, a ranking we held for over a month and a half. We were the #1 seed in the midwest and traveled to Grand Rapids. Up first was Alabama-Huntsville. (Alabama has a hockey team?) We knocked off the southern team 3-2 in double overtime. All that extra hockey took its toll. We fell to Michigan State 2-1 on Saturday and ended our run in the Elite Eight. No Frozen Four for the Irish.
The men's basketball team fell to Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Seniors Russell Carter and Colin Falls were named 1st Team All Big East. And freshmen Tory Jackson and Luke Harangody were on the All Rookie Team. Jackson led the Big East in assists with six per game.
A few weeks back we landed our first recruit for next year. He's a legacy! Mike Golic Jr., the son of Domer and ESPN analyst Mike Golic, committed first. Mike is 6'5", 265 lbs and attends Northwest Catholic High in West Hartford, Connecticut. Golic, a center or guard, is actually the fourth Golic to attend ND (father and two uncles, Bob and Greg). Golic Jr. had heavy interest from Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland, Virginia, and Clemson.
More recruiting news next week.
Campus News:
A week and a half ago ground was broken for a new men's residence hall. Duncan Hall will be the first of four new dormitories the University hopes to construct in the next ten years. This is the first new dorm to be built in a decade. Duncan Hall will be three stories tall, 68,482 square feet, and it will house 232 undergraduates. It will be built west of McGlinn Hall on West Quad. The total cost is not being disclosed. The new hall is expected to be completed by the summer of 2008 and will house students that fall.
The new dorm is meant to ease the housing crunch in the other men's dorms. Many common areas had to be converted to residence rooms to accommodate the on-campus students. There were two other goals. One was to handle more transfer students who wished to live on-campus. The other goal was to allow juniors and seniors more on-campus living arrangements with more singles, doubles, and triples. The 29th dorm (15th male) will have six sections with mixes of singles, doubles, triples and quads. Each quad will include a private bathroom and bay windows. Every section will have a social lounge, a study area, a kitchen, and vending machines. The chapel will have a vaulted ceiling and be on the second floor.
The dorm is being funded by Raymond T. Duncan '52. Duncan is the president of Duncan Oil Inc. in Denver and owner of Silver Oak Cellars, a winery in Oakville, California. He is a former member of the Arts and Letters Advisory Council and recently retired member of the advisory council of the Snite Museum of Art.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The next story shows that you can truly learn a lot of life lessons from the nature channel. At least when it comes to crocodile (or woman) taming. In this tale, our prince charming was attending a neighbor's party when he was subjected to the advances of a less than desirable young female student. In order to avoid any discomfort by actually speaking to the girl, our hero descended to his apartment and proceeded to "play dead," just like my old dog, Sparky. Obviously, due to his Popov-affected state of mind, it was the best he could come up with at the time. The aspiring actor laid down on his kitchen floor and pretended to be unconscious. Despite repeated proddings and several attempts to "arouse" our protagonist, the unfortunate young lady was unsuccessful.
More on this next week.
Hall Notes:
There is some relatively late news on a couple of '96 grads. Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary has finally made his way back to the Bend. He had been writing for sports sections of newspapers in the Chicago area. After earning some valuable experience and awaiting an opening, Ryan applied to write for Blue & Gold Illustrated. He was granted duties writing about Irish recruiting. O'Leary now owns a home in the Bend and has the ever-powerful media pass for all home football games.
His classmate, John Schuring, is now a proud papa. John and his wife welcomed their first child this past fall. Unfortunately I have little info on John's current situation.
NDSportscenter:
The hockey team has remained #1 for six weeks. They opened CCHA playoff play at home versus Alaska. We trounced the Nanooks 7-1 and 3-1 to advance to the CCHA final four in Detroit. Then we took on Lake Superior State, our coach's old college team that he took to two National Championships. Goalie David Brown was voted 1st Team All CCHA. He is only the second Domer to make the 1st Team.
Mike Brey was named Big East Coach of the Year. It is his first such honor. The team finished 4th in league play. Prior to the season, the Big East coaches voted us a pre-season conference ranking of 11th.
Spring football practice begins on March 21. The Blue-Gold Game will be on April 21. Some big names are coming back for the game. Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian will be the honorary coaches. Ross Browner will be back as an honorary captain, as will Tony Rice.
Tom Zbikowski's charity fight did not go exactly as planned. It was first stated Tom would duke it out with Kevin Murphy. Murphy, though, was suspended and scratched the day of the bout. A new boxer was found the afternoon of the fight. Ryan St. Germain of Elkhart stepped up for a three round bout. The charities benefited greatly from the event. The proceeds were estimated to be around $40,000.
We already have four verbal commitments for next year's football class. Offers have been flying fast and furious. We need to push hard. A week after signing day, Texas already had ten commitments for NEXT year. More details on recruiting next week.
Campus News:
At the end of February, two substanial projects began. A new building is not yet being constructed, but the groundwork is being laid for the future JACC renovations. The sanitary sewer capacity and other utility additions will also aid the Stadium. The sewer will run from immediately east of Breen- Phillips to the southeast to the Stadium. The sewer system had not been expanding with the growth of campus. Because of extreme use at the Stadium in the mid '90s, there was flooding in Galvin Hall, Hesburgh Library, and the IT building. The project is expected to take six weeks.
The other project involves further elimination of Juniper Road. It will be eliminated between the Stadium and the JACC and replaced with a pedestrian-friendly plaza. This is part of the University's long term master plan. Then Juniper will be removed between the large parking lots south of the Stadium and JACC. The road removal will then continue north, leading to the construction of new service routes to Hank, Galvin, Friemann and Lobund buildings. Hesburgh Library circle will be reconstructed and additional parking will be created near the library.
Richard Notebaert, a 10-year member of the Board of Trustees, was elected the sixth chairman of the board. The three-year term begins July 1. Notebaert, 59, is the chairman and chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International Inc. On our board, Notebaert chairs the University Relations and Public Affairs and Communications Committee. He is one of the twelve Fellows who make up the University's ultimate governing body. Notebaert is not a Domer. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin. There are currently 53 active members and 35 Life Trustees on our board.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This story, about bright young students poisoning their minds and bodies with that devil firewater, has a bit of a "political" ring to it. Our female protagonist of this bawdy tale is a friend from the ranks of Notre Dame's esteemed student leaders. Due to stress from the rigors of the political world (you know...student government), our hero decided to let off some steam by indulging in a few (or possibly a plethora of) illicit beverages. After the crunk juice kicked in, this venerable official was witnessed with a "close friend" on a crowded (ridiculously steamy) dance floor attempting an "illegal crossing" South of the Border. After being rebuffed once, our protagonist, emulating the Notre Dame spirit of "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," did indeed, do just that. Unfortunately, this dude was more uptight than Border Control. No dice. If the Gipp had known student government kids partied this hard, he might have actually shown some interest and voted in last month's election. It's rather refreshing to hear that some politicians are willing to interpret "border patrol" in such an expansive sense. Uncle Gipp knows the identity of Madame Party Hardy, but he shall not reveal.
Hall Notes:
The Wind Tunnel
We all remember the walk from Carroll. I'm sure our walk to the dining hall would be dreaded by fellas from Fischer or Dillon. All our walking helped us keep off the "Freshman 15." No extra pounds here. (It should be noted that Pimpi did not arrive on campus thin. All the walking kept him from a premature coronary.) The most memorable part of the walk had to be the wind tunnel. The Lyons arch is a very unique walkway. On windy days, the gusts were intense enough to lift the lightest of Vermin. Even on mildly breezy days, the tunnel would still be intense enough to excite any aeronautical engineer. The chill could be harsh in the winter, but it could also be comforting in the fall. Either way it was still our way home.
NDSportscenter:
Brady tore it up last weekend at an ND Pro Day. Over 100 pro scouts for all 32 teams were in attendance. He connected on about 60 of 65 throws. There were some drops and Charlie saw only one Quinn miscue. Brady made more throws than he would have at the Combine. And he made all the throws: moving pocket, dropback, scramble, 3-step, 5-step, and 7-step. He will do more physical testing on March 22 at the second ND Pro Day. Individual workouts will be done for teams upon request.
At the NFL Combine, Brady did do the bench press testing. He pumped out 24 reps of 225 lbs. That was better than more than half of the linebackers, better than nine defensive linemen, and better than the top tight end. He did more than our linemen. Ryan Harris only had 22 and Dan Santucci pushed 23. Is it any wonder why our offensive line got pushed around so much this past year?
Tom Zbikowski re-entered the boxing ring on Tuesday, March 6. He participated in a four-round exhibition match in South Bend at the Century Center. He fought heavyweight Ken Murphy. The card that night had 8 to 10 fights. All the proceeds went to Hannah & Friends, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Tickets were on sale for $20, $50, and $100. The Century Center sold out in nine hours.
The Opening Night Baseball Dinner was held on Feb. 12. The keynote speakers were 2-time World Series Champion and Domer Craig Counsell and 2006 Manager of the Year Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers.
Campus News:
The following are random news and notes from campus...
Former coach Lou Holtz spoke at the Sunday brunch of Junior Parents Weekend.
In early February, pipes burst on the third floor of the library. Fifteen hundred books on the second floor were damaged. The library was closed for six hours.
And then there was a gas leak near the library. Seven buildings were evacuated: Stepan Chemistry Hall, O'Shag, Nieuwland, the radiation lab, Malloy Hall, Riley, and Decio. The gas streamed for two hours before being contained.
The Vagina Monologues were held off campus for the first time in six years. The production did not have a sponsor. The sociology department sponsored it in the past but only wanted to sponsor it every other year. Next year it will be back on campus. Since it is off campus they can charge for tickets. However, since they have no sponsorship, they have no campus advertising.
Last year the Queen Film Festival was known as "Gay and Lesbian Film: Filmmakers, Narratives & Spectatorship." This year it was called "Qlassics." Apparently faculty members requested "gay" and "lesbian" not be in the title.
The cost to attend school is going up 5.4 percent for the 2007-08 school year. The cost will be $44,477 ($35,187 for tuition and $9,290 for room and board). The Graduate School, Law School, and MBA program also went up 5.4 percent. The Grad School will cost $35,580. The Law School and MBA program will be up $35,490. Last year costs went up 5.8 percent.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our story takes place at a lively dive just south of campus during the first week of classes. A group of friends decided to down pitchers of beer (or "courage juice," as my Uncle Filbert likes to say) at one of the few tables in the establishment. The bar got so crowded that our loveable protagonists could not even get out of their chairs (although you can blame that on more than just the crowd). Ordinarily, this is not a problem until one of the sitting duck's toes would tingle with anxiety (yes, anxiety; that's it). Unfortunately, Captain Bladderless was experiencing such urges. The problem? The bathroom was a good 40 feet and a few stairs away, and the space in between was solid with people - big, drunken, raging, sex-crazed people. Luckily, we ND men are clever - so clever, we could make a car run on grain alcohol and sunshine. With pitcher in hand, Captain Bladderless created a Porta-Potty sans toilet. If he pulled the chair close enough to the table, no one would know. And he was right.... for a second. Inspector Gadget unzipped and released his unique draft into the pitcher with perfect form. The tricky part was passing the pitcher under the table to his friend who now needed to top if off with his special pilsner. Like a track and field disaster, the baton was dropped mid hand-off. The courage juice was released all over the friend's previously dry slacks. The Gipper is unsure whether wetting your own pants or someone else wetting them for you is more embarrassing. But either way, the Gipp is never ordering a pitcher from that bar again; the last one was a little too warm for my taste. But the plot thickens. The one who suffered the moistened corduroys missed his alarm for class the next morning. Forgetting that the pants next to his bed were the ones previously soiled by his buddy, he put them on and rushed to class only to find they were still carrying a little extra water weight from the night before.
Hall Notes:
On Frozen Pond
In the winter time, what's the shortest distance from Carroll to North Quad? Across the lake, of course. No other dorm threw caution to the wind like the Vermin. There was only one way to find out if the pond was frozen over or not. Now, not all Vermin took to St. Mary's Lake. Only the ones known to skydive or ride speedy motorcycles or seek other thrills. Footprints could usually be seen if a decent snowfall covered the ice. The tracks were just proof that some Vermin could actually walk on water.
NDSportscenter:
The hockey team won its first ever CCHA regular season title. The team, though, did drop a game to Ferris State last weekend. But they retained their #1 ranking because the #2 and #3 teams lost. The team finished with an overall record of 27-6-3 and a conference record of 21-4-3.
The men's basketball team went undefeated at home with a record of 18-0. It was our first undefeated home season since 1985-86. We are a definite for the NCAA tournament after three straight years of the NIT.
Charlie's malpractice lawsuit against doctors alleged to have nearly killed him from medical negligence, ended in a bizarre turn of events. During the trial, an elderly juror collapsed. Doctors in the courtroom, including the two defendants, rushed to his aid. Because jurors saw the defendants providing aid, Weis' attorney asked for a mistrial. At least one juror honestly admitted that seeing the defendants help the man would be difficult to forget and could alter his opinion. Charlie wishes to continue the trial and will push to have it re-scheduled.
Eight Domers were invited to the NFL Combine. Derek Landri was invited but did not participate because of a torn MCL suffered in the Sugar Bowl. The injury will require rest but not surgery. Darius Walker claims to have nothing to hide and participated in all the drills. Rhema did most everything except the 40 but will do so at an ND Pro Day. Brady will wait until the two Pro Days to do throwing drills. He did the basic physical tests at the Combine. More on that next week.
Campus News:
Last week specifics were given on the new engineering building that will be built on the site of the current University Club. The architect has almost finished the design drawings and three construction firms are being interviewed.
So the University Club is out. What exactly is the University Club? It is a private not- for-profit organization founded in 1958. It was warned in 2002 that demolition was a possibility. They were later given notice that they would have to be out "sometime after December 2005." The Club is an independent organization with an independent board of directors. The University claims it does not have much control of the club. The club has a month-to-month lease that will be terminated no later than August 31. The University owns the clubhouse and the land. The club has over 1,900 dues-paying members, including current and former university employees and their families, alumni and associates without a formal connection to the University. Also, about 9,000 members of the school benefactor societies receive memberships.
The University proposed the club relocate to Greenfield's International Cafe inside the Hesburgh Center. A club representative said the cafe was too small and would not meet the needs of the club. The University has tried to discuss several options with the club. The club claims it needs University assistance or the financial demands to start a club at a different location will be too great. The soon-to-be demolished building was donated by former Indiana governor Robert Gore and was designed by Robert Schultz, a former architect with our School of Architecture.
The new engineeing building will be called Stinson-Remick Hall. Kenneth Stinson '64 is a current Trustee. Jack Remick '59 is on the advisory council for the College of Engineeing. The learning center will be named after benefactors Ted and Tracy McCourtney.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This incident takes place in everyone's favorite place in the dorm to talk on the phone or tape posters for student council campaigns.... or awkwardly make out with your roommate's 17-year-old sister that time freshman year - the stairwell. A resident returned to the dorm after a successful (read: very successful) night of drinking and apparently saved his shining moment for the nightcap. Mistaking the stairwell for another public locale, our hero decided to leave a little memento on the landing. It's sad to think that some residents lack the decency to use the elevator like true gentlemen.
Hall Notes:
Lawnchair Quarterback
In 1996 our first football game was on the road against Vanderbilt. It was a Thursday night game on ESPN, as I recall. And the Vermin watched it on a big screen on the Carroll front lawn. Say what? Yes, we watched it on the front lawn. Believe it or not, it was because of Brian "Crew" Welch '97.
Everyone always thought Crew was full of more b.s. than the clucking hens on "The View." No one believed for a second that he could pull it off. He threw out the idea and we were down, knowing full well it would never happen. Oh, but it did. A cable was run out from the TV lounge. A projector and screen were put up. Crew, being a film and television major, actually had legitimate connections to equipment. Speakers were also run out to the lawn to provide surround sound. The game wasn't very clear at first because of the setting sun. Once dusk set in we could clearly see another Irish victory. Friends were invited from other dorms, Papa John's delivered a ton of pizzas, and the wind was as calm as could be. It was a first, and probably a last. Without Crew, how could such an event ever take place again?
NDSportscenter:
Colin Falls, who earlier this year received shock-wave therapy on his feet for planter fasciitis, has set the record for three pointers in a career. Against Cincinnati he had five triples and broke Chris Thomas' record of 302.
Next year four new recruits will join the basketball team. Tim Abromaitis is a 6'7", 210 lb forward attending Farmington High School in Connecticut. As a junior he scored 26 ppg and grabbed 11 rpg. Tim was pursued by Northwestern, Princeton, Penn and Yale. The first team All State star was rated a two-star prospect by Scout.
Three-star forward Tyrone Nash hails from Queens, New York. The 6'7", 215 lb Nash was looking at Kentucky, Stanford, Seton Hall, and Providence. Nash can play multiple positions. He is an excellent defender who rebounds well and fills a stat sheet to the tune of 17 ppg, 14 rpg, 5 apg, and 3 bpg. Tyrone currently attends Northfield Mount Hermen in Northfield, Mass. This season his squad took on the #1 high school team in the country. And Nash led his team to victory with 20 points, 10 boards, 10 assists, and 5 steals. With the 55-54 win, Tyrone's team captured the Boys Club of New York Championship.
Ty Proffitt averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg as a junior at South Laurel High School in London, Kentucky. Ty is 6'4", 195 lbs and is a three-star point guard/shooting guard. Once again we were selected over Kentucky and Stanford.
The fourth recruit is Carleton Scott of San Antonio, Texas. Scott is a 6'8", 205 lb forward who has been injured on and off for the last two seasons. During the 2003-04 season he averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game. For the past two years Scott has been playing with the T-MAC All Stars.
With these recruits, we have no more scholarships left to grab a late bloomer or transfer this spring. That's assuming we reserve a scholarship for McAlarney.
Campus News:
Earlier this month the University announced the planning for a few $69.4 million College of Engineering building. The Board of Trustees approved the plans at its Feb. 2 meeting. The 142,000 square-foot building will be between the McKenna Center for Continuing Education and the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. The site of the construction is currently occupied by the University Club.
Father Jenkins said the building will provide some "much needed space for our emerging research in nano technology and energy, and enhancing the interdisciplinary experience of our undergraduates." Stinson-Remick Hall will house an 11,800 square-foot semiconductor processing and device fabrication clean room, a nano technology research center and an Energy Center. Undergraduate engineers will have a "huge learning center." The building's exterior will have the familiar "brick gothic" style seen elsewhere on campus.
Construction may begin in late November. If the planning is not complete by the fall, ground breaking will be pushed to early 2008. The completion date is late 2009 or early 2010. The University has been in the "planning stages" for six years. Construction, though, cannot begin until funding is secure. Construction has come sooner than expected because of early fund collection. It only took five years to raise the money. This was half the collection time of the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts.
The University has not disclosed the name of the architect.
More on the new construction next week.
Campus Watch from The Observer:
The Observer recently ran an article on dining hall thievery. This year, as of Jan. 31, nearly 40,000 items have been stolen from NDH and SDH. The items range from dinner plates, utensils, coffee cups, and bowls. The replacement cost is projected to be $25,000. The dining halls will need 11,000 spoons, 8,000 knives, 4,000 forks, 6,000 coffee cups, 5,000 plastic cups, 1,500 dessert plates, 1,500 brown bowls, 3,000 blue bowls, and 2,500 dinner plates. The thievery has remained steady over recent years despite the dining halls offering Styrofoam cups and plastic spoons for take-out items. Stealing items is very easy. Book bags and backpacks are allowed in the dining area. Caught students are sent to ResLife. In some cases an ID will be flagged. When that card is swiped at the dining halls, a notice appears of previous theft. That person is not allowed to bring in their bag.
The overall theft costs are passed on to the students through room and board costs.
Hall Notes:
So how many Vermin do you know of that were in campus bands? I knew of a few. One was my roommate, Dean Busack '97. He was with more bands than a hair metal groupie. I believe he was in three bands over his four years. Hopefully he can share some stories. I don't believe his first band, Dazed and Confused, had any other Vermin. Elsie's Promise was second and seemed to be the most promising band (pun intended). Vermin Dave Lillis '97 was a guitarist. They had some sweet shows at what used to be Jazzman's and various other locations. Then Dean was in the short-titled band, The Florida Evans Show Band and Revue. I believe it was a three- person band and all Vermin. One of their gigs was on the front lawn of Carroll for Freshman Orientation. Another gig actually had them playing in a quad on the third floor. The drums were WICKED loud. Stories will be shared as they come my way.
NDSportscenter:
The hockey team continues to be #1. The lads continue to be the biggest story in college hockey in years. We are #6 in offense, #2 in defense and #4 in the RPI rankings. Goalie David Brown leads the nation in victories and is one of two players considered frontrunners for the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's MVP. Brown is a senior. Yet our team is deep. Freshman Ryan Thang leads us in goals and freshman defenseman Kyle Lawson was a member of the 22-man U.S. Junior National Team that recently competed at the World Junior Championships. Coach Jeff Jackson continues to build the program. We already have verbal commitments for the next two years. We are stacked with defensemen for '08 and '09 and will now be going after forwards.
Speaking of recruiting, Charlie has drawn a line in the sand. Either a recruit is in or he's out. Charlie will no longer be a part of soft verbals, silent commitments, or quiet verbals. Once a player is committed there will be no visits or conversations with other schools. Other football news and notes: the defense is switching to a 3-4 scheme. Seems like a good move because we will most likely perform better with four linebackers. Our defensive line depth is lacking....Chase Anastasio has been offered a fifth year. This is most likely the result of losing a wide receiver recruit on signing day....Receiver David Grimes had arthroscopic surgery on both knees. He is expected to be ready for the spring....Recruit and currently enrolled freshman Jimmy Clausen is not yet throwing the pigskin. Rumor was he wasn't throwing because of bone chips or bones spurs in his elbow. Charlie said that was bogus. Clausen doesn't have any problem and certainly doesn't need surgery. Weis is merely having him rest his arm. Clausen won't throw until the end of February....current high school juniors are already being sought. Under Tyrone we offered zero recruits as juniors. Recruiting juniors is where recruiting begins. Last year we offered ten juniors. We have done even more homework. We have already offered about 25 juniors and are expected to offer 20 more shortly. We need to land about 15 top notch defensive players this next year.
Campus News:
Thankfully the Sugar Bowl is behind us. There is some non-sports news that came out of our team's trip to New Orleans. It wasn't on Sportscenter, but our team gave an assist to the Big Easy. Prior to the game, 105 players and coaches traveled to suburban Marrero, Louisiana and pitched in for an hour helping to rehabilitate the Hope Haven Center. Hurricane Katrina had severely damaged the residential treatment facility for children and adolescents with mild to serious behavorial, educational, emotional and/or family problems. The facility is in an old schoolhouse. The team cleaned the first floor and moved boxes and filing cabinets. They also talked with the kids and signed autographs.
BusinessWeek ranked our MBA program 26th in the country at the end of 2006. Their rankings come out every two years. We were 29th in 2004 and 24th in 2002. Our MBA program was in the top ten for fastest return on an investment.
In January, Health Services returned to its former location behind the Dome after an 18 month absence and $9.5 million of renovations. It had been operating out of the old security building. The Health Services building was constructed in 1935 and had never before received major renovations. The old building was completely gutted. It has brand new electrical, plumbing and heating as well. The William K. Warren ('56 Domer and Trustee) Foundation funded the renovation. The building will be renamed St. Liam Hall, after St. Liam of York. Liam is the English nickname for William. Warren chose it to honor his father, William Warren Sr.
Campus Watch by Me:
So the McAlarney suspension created much discussion in The Observer. One piece broke down ResLife incidents by athletes over the past few years. In 2002-03 there were 1,246 incidents with 94 involving varsity athletes. The jocks made up 7.5 percent of cases. In 2003-04 athletes were responsible for 79 of 1,074 cases for 7.4 percent. That percentage dropped to 4.7 in 2004-05 when there were only 48 athlete incidents. For those years the football cases numbered 21, 22, and 15, respectively. (Not surprising they had the most since they have over 100 on the roster.) McAlarney's incident was the first reported case that involved drugs. Some say McAlarney's punishment was too severe and he was targeted because he was an athlete in the limelight. The University didn't want to look soft, some said. Others say the punishment was worthy of a felony. One athlete who received a punishment had this to say: "I don't know any athlete - or a non-athlete - who has gotten out of ResLife."
Hall Notes:
Room Picks: Part 4
As we were told back in the day, the University randomly generated the room pick list via computer. And sometimes that "computer" randomly generates the almost exact same list. One year my room pick was horrible. I don't remember exactly but it was definitely in the bottom three. A few years later, it was time for senior room picks. Bottom three again! Now, I'm one-eighth Irish. Usually I maximize the potential of that luck. Could I really have been that unlucky? I scanned the room picks list and it looked very familiar. I went to Father Mike, our rector at the time, and asked him to compare the lists from the two years. Lo and behold they were nearly identical. Some new Vermin had come in the dorm and they had conveniently filled the spots of Vermin that had moved off campus. Of those who had chosen to be in the hall for four years, those Vermin were all in the same spots in the two "different" lists. Nice computer. Usually "the shaft" is for elevators. Of course the list was re-done. Names were drawn out of a hat and numbers were drawn out of another to double up on the randomness. No, I wasn't in the bottom three. Yes, my one-eighth Irish heritage maintains its luster.
NDSportscenter:
For the past week the hockey team has been #1. It's our first top ranking in the 39 years of the program.
Two more Domers are Super Bowl champions. Punter Hunter Smith and linebacker/special teams player Rocky Boiman are members of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts.
We added two more to our recruiting class to bring our total to 20. Both recruits were previously committed to other schools. Linebacker Brian Smith attends St. Thomas Aquinas High in Overpark, Kansas. His father was an Irish fullback from '81 to '84 and is a current member of the Monogram Club Board of Directors. Initially Smith looked at Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Missouri, and Nebraska. Back in August Brian committed to Iowa. As a senior, the 6'3", 220 lb Smith had 126 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. There was a rumor Iowa had pulled his scholarship. Smith would neither confirm nor deny it. Word is that when Smith said he would take a visit to ND, Iowa said it would go in a different direction if he did. Less than a week later the 4.7 - 40 four-star athlete was Irish.
Three-star kicker Brandon Walker of Findlay, Ohio was originally committed to Louisville. When the Cardinals coach left to lead the Atlanta Falcons, Walker re-examined his commitment. The 6'2", 190 lb kicker looked at us, Michigan State, and Pitt. The #16 Rivals kicker will most likely place kick and be a backup punter. For his senior season he was only 50 percent on his field goals but supposedly booted touchbacks 80 percent of the time.
We have a dearth on the defensive line. Because of that, incoming recruit Andrew Nuss will start on the defensive line instead of the offensive line. The 6'5", 283 lb Nuss said defense is his first love anyway.
And then came signing day. Two of our twenty backed out and went to their respective state schools. Both were participants in the U.S. Army All American game and four-star players. Despite the loss, we had the 8th best class according to Rivals and ESPN. Scout had us at 11th. Not bad considereing we only had 18 recruits. Our star-average was the 6th best for Rivals and Scout.
Campus News:
On January 4, Father Jenkins and a group of University representatives traveled to Uganda for a 10-day "exploratory trip" in conjunction with the Notre Dame Millennium Development Initiative (NDMDI). The University is working in line with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Our Milliennium Village Project will focus on a village composed of 5,000 to 7,000 people. This project has an initial five-year timeline. It is also linked to Millennium Promise, a separate non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of extreme poverty before 2025.
Why Uganda? The main connection is that the Congregation of the Holy Cross has established a strong presence there. Uganda has a population of nearly 28 million and 85 percent are Chrisitan. The Village Project has four main goals: increasing agricultural productivity, connecting people to markets and information, eradicating preventable diseases, and expanding access to basic healthcare and education. This first trip to Africa was to listen, explore and build relationships. Jenkins sees this as "a reflection of our mission as a Catholic university."
The University will join forces with local institutions and villagers to expand HIV/AIDS prevention programs, build water supply systems, improve the village infrastructure, increase literacy, stop environmental degradation, and fight discrimination against women. Life expectancy for Ugandan men is only 52 years while women are at 54 years.
Jenkins met with the Bishops of Uganda on January 11. On January 12 he visited Uganda Martyrs University to meet the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Deans.
Current students can contribute as well. They can assist through different campus organizations, including Amnesty International, the Africa Faith and Justice Network, and the MDG Task Force, among many other organizations.
Campus Watch by Me:
There is a McAlarney update. So it was initially reported that he was only suspended not dismissed. Supposedly he was out for the spring and summer sessions. This is a BIG problem. Not being allowed back for the summer means he needs to enroll at another school this spring to get some credit hours. There are NCAA rules governing how many credit hours a student- athlete must complete in the past 12 months. A student-athlete generally needs to earn 24 credit hours in the past calendar year. Only six credits can be earned in the summer.
CBSportsline.com reported that Michigan State, Virginia, and Xavier were all interested in McAlarney as a transfer. This past week, though, McAlarney said he will come back to ND. Apparently he plans to take at least six credit hours at a college near his home in New York for this spring semester. It was also reported he plans to re-apply for the ND summer session. This seemed odd since it was first reported that he was suspended for the spring and summer. But he told his coaches and teammates he would be coming back.
Hall Notes:
Room Picks Part 3
I recall a room picks story from the mid '90s. I believe it was of a class a couple years ahead of me. The Vermin of that year seemed to sort of divide themselves into two groups. (That wasn't unusual. My year was sort of divided into two groups as well.) Well, one group had the luck of the draw. They placed many near the top of the room picking order. The other group desperately wanted to live on the same floor, preferrably the fourth. Group #1 knew this and spread word around that they were going to take fourth floor rooms. Group #1 had Group #2 purposefully shaking in their boots. Group #2 approached Group #1 to find out what rooms they were going to take. Group #2 said they wanted to stay together because they were all "like a family." They even wanted to conduct a mock draft to see what was actually going to happen. Group #1 got a big laught out of this. I believe it all ended well. Group #1 stuck together and so did Group #2. Like I said, room picks were and are serious business.
NDSportscenter:
We lost a recruit to Florida. DE Justin Trattou of New Jersey switched his commitment. He was our top defensive recruit. I'm glad we didn't get Urban Meyer as our coach. He stole our recruit, a USC recruit, and a Texas recruit after they had committed to those respective schools. Meyer is a weasel just like Gary Barnett, Rick Nieuhiesel, and Nick Saban.
We did gain another offensive recruit. RB Robert Hughes comes out of Hubbard High School in Chicago. The four-star back is a punishing runner at 5'11", 230 lbs. Tom Lemming rates him the #50 overall recruit. He is the second best receiving running back coming out of high school. Robert runs a 4.6 - 40 and has durability to go along with his power (350 lb bench). He must work on his speed and blocking. We were chosen over Illinois and aided by the fact that Darius went pro. Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin were in the picture early. Charlie had help in Robert's recruiting. Chris Zorich served as a mentor and was at Hughes' press conference.
Speaking of Charlie... his medical malpractice lawsuit against two doctors involved in his near-fatal gastric bypass surgery is scheduled to start this month. The trial will be in Boston. Weis had the surgery in June 2002 when he weighed 350 lbs. The lawsuit alleges the doctors acted negligently. Charlie bled internally soon after the operation and was in a coma for two weeks. His last rites were read. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to appear as a witness.
We are 10th in the Directors' Cup after the fall sports.
Campus News:
The biggest addition to the community south of campus is most likely the Innovation Park. The park will be a joint project between the City of South Bend and the University. It will be to the southeast of the main campus and will occupy 12 acres. There will be 200,000 square feet of office, laboratory, and research space in four buildings. The park will be paid for by grants, gifts, and public/private partnerships. The city plans to apply to the state to make the park a certified technology park. Such a designation would allow the park to capture more tax dollars.
Other projects are in the works for the area formerly known as the Notre Dame Woods. A new 150-room hotel will go along Edison Road just east of the commercial development that will be along Eddy Street. The hotel will supplement the Morris Inn. The hotel will be commercially owned and operated. There are also plans for a hotel on campus to go up where the old security building currently stands. Once that is built, the Morris Inn will probably cease to be an inn. But apparently the off-campus hotel will be built quicker. So the Morris Inn may work in conjunction with it.
What else is planned south of campus? Another project is slated just east of the Eddy Street commercial area. There are plans for a parking garage for 270 to 400 vehicles. And a separate commercial district will eventually be built farther south at the Five Points Intersection. This will not take place until the state widens S.R. 23 and re-configures the intersection. That road work is scheduled to begin in 2012.
Campus Watch by Me:
So Snoop McAlarney didn't have to go to court for his marijuana possession. The prosecutor's office agreed to a pretrial diversion program. The misdemeanor charge will be dropped in a year if Bud completes the terms of the program. He must pay fines, take six to twelve random drug tests, undergo substance abuse assessment, and perform twenty hours of community service. The program officially ends Jan. 18, 2008. He must also have no other criminal offenses during the next year. McAlarney will pay a $170 user's fee and $145 in court costs. The substance abuse assessment will determine if he needs to enter counseling or can become a roadie for Cypress Hill. A University punishment has yet to be handed out. He travles and practices with the team but cannot play. It is purely a rumor that Doobie has requested the team be outfitted with hemp uniforms.
And then the University spoke. McAlarney has been suspended from school. He is out for the spring and summer sessions. There is no word yet if he plans to come back or transfer.
Hall Notes:
Room Picks: Part 2
Many factors had to be considered when selecting a room. The older you were, the higher you aimed. Fourth floor was the goal, away from the rector and assistant rector. First floor and its three rooms were freshman housing. They didn't have to carry their furniture upstairs, but the rector was right across the hall.
Another room pick was the R.A. Who would most likely be on what floor? Would your R.A. be somewhat lax? As long as you weren't an ass, your R.A. would probably turn a blind eye.
Single rooms were obviously a key factor. Seniors craved them. I believe Carroll had about thirteen or fourteen singles. If there were fifteen or sixteen seniors, someone would have to double up. Triples were tight for underclassmen. Quads were an adverture in personalities. One second floor room had a bathroom. (But don't dare use the feeble shower.) Some veteran Vermin were clever with their rooms. Doubles across from each other offered the possibility of sleeping quarters in one room and a common room in the other.
Who was going to be on your floor? Could your buddies all shoot for the same floor? Would it be just as easy to torment Kevin Fumai if he lived on a different floor? Easier? All of these factors made room picks a lively experience.
NDSportscenter:
Jeff Samardzija is going pro. In baseball. He has decided to pass on a career in pro football and dedicate himself to pitching. Jeff has signed a guaranteed five-year $10 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. The deal includes options for 2012 and 2013 that could increase the value of the contract to $16 millioin over seven years. The contract includes a no-trade clause which is a rarity for an unproven talent. If Jeff decides to return to football, he must give back his $2.5 million signing bonus. He is six to nine hours short of his degree. Samardzija hopes to complete them quickly. Baseball America has Jeff as the Cubs No. 4 prospect. He is expected to begin the season with the Dayton Cubs of the advanced Class A Florida State League.
Brady Quinn did not play in the Senior Bowl due to a "minor knee injury." The injury should only require rest.
Charlie has announced the hiring of two new assistant coaches. Corwin Brown, 36, is the new defensive coordinator. Rick Minter was let go after two years. Brown was most recently the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets. Brown graduated from Michigan and was a captain in 1992. Corwin, a Chicago native, played for the Patriots and Jets while Weis coached for those teams. After his NFL playing days, Brown was an assistant at Virginia and excelled in recruiting. Charlie spoke with his coaching comrades - Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel, and Al Groh - and all said he should hire Corwin Brown. Brown played safety and special teams in the pros. In addition to overseeing the whole defense he will work mainly with the defensive backs and linebackers.
The other new assistant is former Irish QB Ron Powlus. Actually he was already on the staff. Instead of being the director of personnel development, Powlus is the new quarterbacks coach. Peter Vaas was not retained at the end of the season. Now Ron can hit the recruiting trail. At his previous position he was limited to working on campus. Word on the street is that Powlus is excellent at selling the school and program. Powlus will be tutoring four youngsters this spring.
Campus News:
More about the development south of campus... "We're hoping to break ground in fall 2007." So said a University spokesperson. The residential development will be extensive. Around 370 new housing units will be going up along Eddy. There will be 195 townhomes and 80 condominiums. Apartments will also be developed. The planned Eddy Street Commons, a retail area with about 85,000 square feet of stores, will have about 100 apartments on the second and third floors. More is planned a little farther south near a five points intersection.
Over the last few years, the University has purchased nearly all the properties on Eddy Street south to the intersection and west of Georgiana Street. This area is part of the "Triangle neighborhood." All 85 plots will be bought and re-platted into about 60 larger lots. The homes will be mostly two-story houses in traditional architectural styles like bungalow and American foursquare, with driveways and garages in the rear. About 70 percent will be market-rate housing for any income bracket. They will range from 950 to 2,000 square feet for $100,000 to $200,000. Design guidelines will dictate the roofs and building materials. The neighborhood will be landscaped and receive new sidewalks. The other 30 percent of the properties will be smaller and reserved for low- to moderate- income residents. These buyer-assisted houses will be mixed with the market- rate homes throughout the neighborhood.
One final development news item will be shared next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
Normally the items here cover rumors or stories with hidden identities to protect the guilty. This news item was blatantly written up in the paper. But it's so juicy it just had to go here.
Basketball point guard Kyle McAlarney was arrested for marijuana possession. The sophomore was busted at nearly 2 am. It was initially a traffic stop. A lit bud was in the car and the cop saw it. Kyle was jailed and has received three misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession, reckless possession, and possession of paraphernalia. He was released on bail and the county prosecutor was to decide on January 18 whether or not the charges would be prosecuted. McAlarney has been indefinitely suspended from playing in games until the matter is sorted out. He is most likely done for the year. Even if the charges are dropped, a school suspension will most likely be harsh. Freshman Tory Jackson has been starting in Kyle's place. Since the suspension we are 4-2, are averaging 76 points a game, and are ranked #20. We've even been given props in "High Times" Magazine. Expect Chong, Snoop, and Willie Nelson to begin frequenting the courtside seats.
Hall Notes:
Room Picks
Every dorm had them. It was a very nerve-racking experience in Carroll. Did we really need the black cloud of room picks hanging over our heads as finals were approaching? Carroll really did have a distinct room picking situation compared to most other dorms: Dome-side. I take great pride in saying I had a view of the Dome for all four of my years in Carroll. It was an excellent view. Except for the times when a fan was on the sill during the first few sweltering weeks of the school year. Dome-side. I wonder if other dorms based their room picks on that?
Room picks were obviously a very big deal for all involved. There are a few stories to recall. Safe to say it was quite serious business. Stories were thrown around about those who forgot to be around for picks and immediately fell to last. All roommates had to be present or all were dropped to last. I'll admit I nearly forgot my freshman year. I was out watching Bookstore games and totally lost track of time. My two sophomore-to-be-roomies were a bit on edge and searching for my social security number in hopes that could be used in my absence. But it was all good. I rolled in with about ten minutes to spare. The day was saved.
More room pick tales next week.
NDSportscenter:
And then there were 18. Our 18th commitment was originally going to Florida State. Offensive tackle Chris Little put on a Semimole hat at the U.S. Army All American game. Four days later he was Irish. It seems there was a miscommunication. Chris thought his mother wanted him to stay close to home. She wanted him to go to ND. So we now have our fourth offensive lineman that happens to check in at 6'6" and 350 lbs. He has been slowed by a groin injury but was clocked at a 5.0 - 40 (very good for an O-lineman). Little has quick feet and is a punishing run-blocker. The Scout.com four-star recruit attends Twiggs County High School in Georgia. He benches 365 lbs and squats 550 lbs. Other schools interested in Chris were Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and LSU.
All of the vital 5th year seniors have applied to come back. Next year we will still see TE John Carlson, S Tom Zbikowski, C John Sullivan, P Geoff Price, LB/RB Travis Thomas, LB Joe Brockington, DT Trevor Laws, DB Ambrose Wooden, and DE Dwight Stephenson Jr.
With Darius deciding to go pro, it leaves only seven players from Willingham's last class which totalled only 17.
Brady was voted the Cingular All American Player of the Year as voted by fans. He received 43 percent of the vote. Ohio State's Troy Smith garnered only 27 percent.
Several seniors participated in post-season bowls. G Bob Morton was in the Hula Bowl. DT Derek Landri and G Dan Santucci played in the East-West Shrine Game. The Senior Bowl invited five Domers: Brady, Jeff, Rhema, Victor, and Ryan Harris.
Last but not least, there are assistant coaching changes to announce. But that will be shared next week. Charlie hasn't officially announced anything. I would rather not comment now if someone happens to pull a George O'Leary.
Campus News:
More on the neighborhood revitalization south of campus.
Working with the community is not a foreign thing for the University. The South Bend Tribune said the following: " In a way, Notre Dame's involvement in the neighborhood is a return to its roots. The university was responsible for the original development of a large section. In 1855, Notre Dame leaders platted university farm fields south of campus into lots. Local workers were encouraged to settle in the sudivision, which came to be called 'Sorinville' after Notre Dame's founder, the Rev. Edward Sorin."
The University currently owns many properties south of campus. They pay all the property taxes on the houses and lots to the tune of $371,000 for this past year. In most cases, old homes are demolished, new ones are built and then sold to University employees. The tax responsibility is then turned over to the homeowners, who have signed contracts requiring them to sell back to the school should they decide to move. A total of around 30 homes will be built or renovated by the time the program is complete around 2010.
The University has also strengthened the community through the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC). The center is just blocks from all the new homes. Monk had met with residents prior to 2001 and asked what they needed most. They said a learning center. The RCLC opened in 2001. It provides a wide variety of youth programs including tutoring, music, art classes, and anti-violence initiatives. There is a state-of-the-art computer lab and even classes for adults. Many Domers work and volunteer at the RCLC. A nearby intersection is set to expand in the next five years. The center will have to move but the University is committed to re-opening it in the northeast neighborhood.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Shortly after every male student's favorite extracurricular activity, "the case race" - obviously due to the aesthetically pleasing rhyme scheme, as all ND men love good alcohol-related wordplay - the victor participated in the traditional celebration ritual by passing out in a not-so-private space. He arose several hours after his victorious slumber to discover he had fallen asleep in the basement of the dorm. Hey, don't judge. It happens. Our hero (in the style of Flava Flav, let's call him Toasteee) was three stories away from refuge, but a member of the hall staff presented a barrier between Toastee and sweet, sweet freedom. In an attempt to hide evidence of the night's earlier festivites, our tipster tells us that this character began a "weird walk-run away from him." Although Toasteee thought he was sly, he was as conspicuous as Paris Hilton sitting on that altar in the Basilica. When our intelligent friend lost his shoe without even noticing, the hall staffer pursued the trail. Did you know that Notre Dame RA's can actually smell out intoxication from over three miles away? True story. Toastee ascended two flights of stairs with one shoe, and, thinking that a room on the second floor was actually where he lived, accosted a student minding his own business. The groggy, Natty-infested character demanded an explanation of what had happened to all his possessions, when suddenly the staffer appeared, asking if he had lost his shoe. Determining it best to exude confidence rather than arrogance, our fellow responded with an assertive, "No, I did not, sir!" Don't say his mother never taught him manners, Momma Toasteee should be proud. Despite the convincing argument, the staffer threw the shoe at him, left and reported the incident to ResLife. In another brilliant judgment, our shoeless hero decided to mention in the "additional comments" box of his report that he once had a heroin-addict cousin. The reward for such bravado? A weekly appointment with a psychiatrist for the rest of the semester. Much like TCE's, the Gipp thinks the moral of this story is to always write as little as humanly possible.
Hall Notes:
Last week news was given on Vermin and former Irish QB Arnaz Battle. This week there is new on Vermin and former Irish QB Carlyle Holiday. When last we gave news on Carlyle, he was a wide receiver with the Arizona Cardinals. Sadly, they waived him. But on December 5 he was claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers. He played four games for the Packers and had 9 catches for 126 yards. He also attempted a pass and played special teams.
NDSportscenter:
Junior RB Darius Walker has decided to skip his senior season and turn pro. It came as a shock to everyone. He still needs four classes to complete his degree. He and his family have said he will graduate.
More recruiting news...
Our 16th commitment came from four-star safety Harrison Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee. This was a bit of a surprise. Both is parents went to Tennessee. But he did score a 28 on the ACT and 1850 on the SAT. Smith is 6'2", 201 lbs and runs a 4.38 - 40. Last year at Knoxville Catholic High School Harrison had 61 tackles (11 for a loss), 5 interceptions (2 returned for TDs), 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. On offense he ran for 1300 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 450 yards and 6 touchdowns. Expect Harrison to only play safety. He has good instincts and is a hard hitter in the mold of NFL safety John Lynch.
We had eight players at the High School U.S. Army All American game last weekend. And during the game we received our 17th verball from offensive lineman Matt Romine. The 6'6", 285 lb Romine made 5 visits to campus. Rivals rates him a four-star prospect, the #5 rated tackle, and #74 overall. Matt has a 3.5 GPA at Tulsa Union High School in Oklahoma and has been described as "mature beyond his years." He declined offers from Florida, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. Romine is already considered a great leader. He was the West team captain for the U.S. Army game.
More football notes: Brady Quinn finished with 95 TD passes, good for 7th all time.... Jeff Samardzija has school records for TD catches (27), receptions (179), and receiving yards (2,593)....Jeff and Brady were AP 2nd Team All Americans. Zbikowski was on the 3rd team....The Shirt sold over 155,000 units this year. This tops the previous high of 135,000 in 2002. Over $500,000 was earned. More than $4 million has been raised since 1990 when The Shirt began.
Campus News:
The South Bend Tribune recently ran a six- part story detailing the neighborhood revitalization that is taking part south of campus. Specific items have been pulled from the articles to share.
Who is behind the revitalization effort? The Tribune concisely stated: "South Bend Heritage took on responsibility for part of the northeast neighborhood revitalization effort in 2002. The Northwest Neighborhood Revitalization Organization (NNRO) is a joint effort financed by the city, Notre Dame, Madison Center, Memorial Hospital and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. The partners jointly contribute a total of $350,000 annually." Residents of the neighborhood certainly play a role as well. Their input helped create the development plan. The University met with residents for a series of meetings in 2005. Most of the residents were on board for the plan.
The University has taken the lead in the development. The University's director of off-campus real estate and asset management says he has "a list of 30 to 35 business entities that are interested in being (part of the development)." The businesses will intermingle with new residences. The community is very concerned about "good housing policy" in that the new townhomes are "affordable to people of all races and economic classes." But the city acknowledges they are hoping to draw in more upper-income homeowners. Wealthier residents bring money that stimulates the local economy and creates more jobs and growth. The city's economic development committee is obviously seeking more tax dollars for schools, roads, police and fire departments, and after-school and anti-violence programs for youth. Specifics on the commercial, residential, and community developments will be detailed over the next few weeks.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
So which football players are coming back for a fifth year? Last year there was no official announcement. It seems to be a bigger deal this year. Charlie hinted at a press conference that Irish fans would be pleased by who would be coming back. He didn't name names at the time. TE John Carlson? S Tom Zbikowski? DT Trevor Laws? C John Sullivan? P Geoff Price? All of the above. Supposedly Zibby entered his name to be in the Senior Bowl. That would rule out a 5th year. But word is he then pulled his name. Charlie spoke with all potential 5th years. Supposedly he told them of their status from three viewpoints: Irish head coach, NFL head coach, and friend. Time will tell who is coming back.
Hall Notes:
Vermin and one-time Irish quarterback Arnaz Battle just completed his fourth year as a receiver with the San Francisco 49ers. This year he had 59 catches for 686 yards and three touchdowns. All were career highs. He also rushed five times for 25 yards. Battle's athleticism has kept him in the NFL. This past year he attempted a pass and had six punt returns. He also plays on special teams even though he is the #2 receiver for the 49ers.
NDSportscenter:
Recruiting has picked up since the weeks before Christmas. This update will focus on the 13th, 14th and 15th verbal commitments.
Defensive tackle Ian Williams was #13. He attends Lyman High School and is from Longwood, Florida. Williams is 6'2", 290 lbs and chose us over Florida, Clemson, and Auburn. The Rivals three-star recruit had 83 tackles (23 for a loss) and two sacks as a junior. He is primarily a run stopper. Ian benches 370 lbs and squats 415 lbs. He also runs a 5.0 - 40.
Just an hour or two after Williams committed, "athlete" Golden Tate of Pope John Paul II High School did the same. The appropriately named Tate is from Hendersonville, Tennessee. Rivals has given the wide receiver/running back four stars. The 5'11", 185 lb Tate declined offers from Vanderbilt, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. Not only did Golden run for 1400 yards, he also received for 500 yards and scored 29 touchdowns. He runs a 4.4 - 40 and is known for his speed, running ability, and elusiveness with the catch. Golden is most definitely an "athlete." He plans to also play centerfield for the Irish baseball team. Oh, and he scored a 26 on the ACT. So he's athletic and smart.
The 15th verbal commitment if offensive tackle Taylor Dever. He attends Nevada Union High School in northern California. Rivals rates the 6'6", 289 lb Dever as the 51st best tackle and a three-star prospect. (That doesn't sound great but supposedly he's a late bloomer who's an underrated diamond in the rough.) Dever canceled a visit to Nebraska and picked us over Arizona State, Miami, and Oregon.
The men's cross country team competed on a muddy, sloppy course at the NCAA Championships. Our top finisher was sophomore Patrick Smyth. He completed the course in 31:41.7, good for 36th. As a team we placed 19th.