Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Under the Dome away layup. Younger brother Nick could join Zack in the starting lineup next year, although where is uncertain. With current junior Christian Lombard also returning at right tackle, the two vacancies are at center sans Braxston Cave and right guard minus Mike Golic Jr., both fifth-year seniors. The wild card is going to be filling the void at center — another position that Nick Martin reportedly has practiced. One way or another, the elder Martin said Hiestand will find and develop the right answers. "He's everything I've ever wanted in an offensive line coach," Martin said. "He pushes you on the field, he's a technician, so he's always working on your technique. He's taught us what it means to work, but off the field he's somebody you can sit down and talk to and go have dinner with. "The pride that he's kind of instilled back in the offensive line here at Notre Dame — which hasn't been here for a while. We started it and I want to finish it out next year. "The offensive line at Notre Dame the last how many years has been kind of the whipping boy of the team, so it's time to change that, and I don't think we could have gotten a better guy." Meanwhile, the Notre Dame offensive line couldn't ask for a better player to return in 2013 than Martin. Looking Forward To Senior Day When Nix, a Florida 25 years in business buy ✦ sell ✦Trade Flexible PaymenT Plans available Call 1-800-925-2500 Notre Dame Football Tickets www.noTredameTiCkeTs.Com native, committed to Notre Dame in December 2009, it seemed risky. Charlie Weis had just been fired as the Fighting Irish head coach and the program was still searching for a replacement. "I don't believe it was a risk," Nix replied this December on his roll-thedice decision back then. "… I'm happy Brian Kelly's here. I'm excited he put us in a position to win. But I came to the school, not the coach." Likewise, some might contend it was "risky" for Nix to take his name out of the 2013 NFL Draft. He could have taken the money and run, particularly because his family, which includes 11 siblings and half-siblings younger than him, could use immediate financial help. His mother, Stephanie Wingfield, works at a hospital cafeteria and has difficulties making ends meet with such a large brood. But her two greatest joys with Louis would be 1) seeing him earn his degree in film and television, which he is on pace to receive next December, and 2) greet-