Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 OCT. 29, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? The Ohio native symbolized individually the 1988 national champs' rise from the ashes BY LOU SOMOGYI U pon enrolling at Notre Dame in August 1984, freshman Frank Stams had designs on becoming the next Larry Csonka, who was in- ducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a fullback in 1987. In a somewhat reversed manner, he has. Both hailed from northeast Ohio, Csonka from Stow and Stams from Akron. They combined football fe- rocity and talent with matinee idol looks and comparable physiques, with Csonka listed at 6-3, 237 pounds and Stams 6-4, 240. Interestingly, though, Csonka be- gan his college career at Syracuse Uni- versity on defense before switching to offense, where he would become a Pro Bowl fullback with the Miami Dolphins five consecutive seasons from 1970-74, highlighted by the one and still lone perfect season (17-0) in NFL history in 1972, the first of two straight Super Bowl titles. Conversely, Stams began his ca- reer at Notre Dame as a fullback after signing as a blue-chip linebacker/tail- back from St. Vincent-St. Mary High (where he won two state titles in foot- ball and one in basketball). The year Stams was recruited (1984), severe doubts about fourth-year Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust's future with the Irish were emerging on the recruiting trail. Faust had been lauded for his recruiting his first three years, but in 1984 the belief in him would begin to wane, and it showed while signing a record-low 17 players. One of them was Stams, mainly be- cause of a crucial selling point. "Every other school was recruiting me at linebacker, but Gerry promised me that I could run the ball — and I thought I was going to be the next Larry Csonka," Stams recalled. Eventually, with a coaching change and much-needed position switch, Stams became a consensus All-Amer- ican rush end/outside linebacker (and a second-round pick in the NFL Draft) for the 1988 national champs, reflecting the rise from the ashes individually that the football program had collectively. His pass rushing acumen and domi- nance on the edge were to the 1988 national champs what Alan Page and Ross Browner were to championship units in the 1960s and 1970s. Oddly enough, Stams still feels like Csonka these days. Word is that every time the last unbeaten NFL team each season loses, the 1972 Dolphins, led by Csonka, have a nostalgic toast to again recognize the unique feat they accom- plished 46 years ago. Stams and his cohorts from the 1988 national champions in no way revel about Notre Dame's school-record 30- year drought from a consensus title (the previous record was 16 from 1950-65), but do admit at times they look back in amazement at what they achieved. "I'm afraid if they win another na- tional championship it will become so big we won't be relevant anymore," Stams said with a laugh. "The stories through the years won't be getting bet- ter, and we won't be as great as every- one thinks we were. "We were just roughnecks playing out there — and all of a sudden we became a great team over the past 30 years. I want them to win now, but I'm nervous they will make us irrelevant. There won't be enough seats left for the old guys coming back." Unlikely. Championship immortal- ity always remains. RISE FROM THE ASHES As a freshman in 1984, Stams was the No. 3 fullback, behind seniors Chris Smith and Mark Brooks. After both graduated, he was next in line for the starting job, but the 5-6 campaign in what would be Faust's final season was not what he anticipated. He did carry the ball 44 times for 164 yards and three scores, and caught 14 passes for 100 yards, but he labeled himself a "glorified guard" as the lead blocker for star tailback Al- len Pinkett. His upright running and overall discomfort even resulted in, at one point, walk-on Tom Monahan moving ahead of him. The season ended with three straight losses, including 36-6 at Penn State and the 58-7 massacre at Miami in the finale. "It really put me in the dumps and I became very emotional the middle of my sophomore year," Stams said. "The program wasn't in great shape and I kept thinking, 'Did I make the right call?'" A shot of invigoration occurred with the hiring of Lou Holtz later that No- vember, but when Stams broke his leg early during a bone-chilling cold scrimmage in spring practice, it re- sulted in a medical redshirt during that 1986 campaign. The following spring (1987) is when Stams' seminal moment occurred when tight ends coach George Stewart one day approached him. "What do you want to play, line- backer or tight end?" Stewart asked Stams. "What about fullback?" a stunned Stams replied. "It's not in the cards for you any- more, Frank," Stewart said. "Let's turn a bad break into a good one." Because he was recruited primar- ily as a linebacker, Stams decided on defense, where as a senior (with a fifth year still remaining in 1988) he would apprentice behind classmates Cedric Figaro and Darrell "Flash" Gordon. Frank Stams, 1984-88 Rush End Stams went from being a third-string fullback to playing a key role for a defense that ranked third nationally in points allowed per game (12.3) and spearheaded Notre Dame's 1988 national title run. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA