under the DOME
FollowingMartin and
The Leaders
Zack
Louis Nix III skip NFL for one more season
By Lou Somogyi
N
otre Dame's 2012
fortunes took a tremendous turn for the
better last winter when
linebacker Manti Te'o
and tight end Tyler Eifert opted to bypass their
high NFL draft status
and return as Notre
Dame seniors.
The outlook in 2013 received a similar surge of
momentum when offensive tackle Zack Martin
and nose guard Louis Nix
III followed the example
of those two All-American leaders.
Head coach Brian
Kelly announced Dec. 17
that both Martin and Nix,
who submitted paperwork to the NFL for an
assessment of their draft
status, chose to return to
Notre Dame in 2013.
Their return fortifies
both lines as strengths
for Notre Dame in 2013.
Martin has started all
Martin, seen here with his parents on Notre Dame's Senior Day in
November, has started all 39 games at offensive left tackle the past
three seasons and graded out as the top lineman each year.
Photo by bill panzica
39 games at offensive
left tackle the past three
seasons and graded out
as the top lineman each
time — earning him an
unprecedented three
straight "Guardian of
The Year Award" honors as Notre Dame's top
offensive lineman.
If Martin can answer
the bell in all 13 games
again next season, he
would set a Notre Dame
record for the most career starts, currently
held by 2006-09 offensive tackle Sam Young,
who had 50 consecutive
starting assignments.