Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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62 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY The road to Notre Dame wasn't an easy one for Hunter Spears. The summer before his junior sea- son, Spears was working out at a camp when he tore his ACL and was sidelined for the entire year. He was devastated, but had the mental re- solve to head straight to the training room and begin his recovery process. In February of his junior year, Spears committed to Notre Dame without having played competitive football since his sophomore season. He returned to the field for Sachse (Texas) High on Aug. 31, 2018, put- ting the long journey back from an ACL tear finally behind him. With Sachse nearing the playoffs, Spears had racked up 58 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, five sacks, two fum- ble recoveries and a pick-six through nine games of his come- back tour. Then, in prac- tice with just one game to go in the regular season, Spears felt an all too fa- miliar pain. The four-star defensive lineman had re-torn his ACL, and his high school football career was over. There are few positives to take from the injuries, but Spears was deter- mined to find them. "It was definitely up- setting," he said. "But I did it once and I can do it again. It sucks, but adversity is all about how you overcome it." The preference was not to reinjure his knee, but he had the knowledge and confidence that he was fully ca- pable of recovering. "Having the experi- ence of going through it before, I know it's rough," he explained. "But I know with the support I have behind me it will be a lot easier." When the first injury happened, Spears was an uncommitted pros- pect with a few offers on the table. The second time, he was a Notre Dame pledge that was tasked with the unpleas- ant phone call to inform his future coaching staff that he'd have two significant knee injuries under his belt before he ever played a down of college football. Spears said he didn't worry for a second that Notre Dame would try to rescind his scholarship offer, and he was right. Defensive line coach Mike Elston told Spears the Irish were just as excited to have him now as they were on the day he committed. "They've always been on my side and had my back through this whole process, and that's been reassuring," Spears noted. "It reassured me that I chose the right place, the right school and the right people to play for." Spears said the first thought that came to his mind when his senior season suddenly ended wasn't one of pain or adversity. Laying on his back in the green Texas grass where his football career had blossomed, Spears realized the next time he suited up he'd be wearing a gold hel- met and a Notre Dame jersey. "It's crazy," he said. "I keep look- ing forward to getting out there, be- coming part of the team and doing everything I can to help them win. It will be a culmination of the all the hard work and dedication I've put in to get to where I am. It will be a really fulfilling feeling just to be out there." In January, Spears enrolled at Notre Dame, handing control of his recov- ery process over to the Irish training and medical staff. Although there are different people in charge of external recovery now, he has the same mantra as he did back in 2017 when his knee had first buckled underneath him. "It's a lot harder mentally than it is physically," Spears said. "You have to take every day with a new mindset, attack the day and win the day." ✦ HUNTER SPEARS DEFENSIVE TACKLE 6-3 · 295 SACHSE H.S. GARLAND, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29* 50 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 272 31^ 35 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40* 64 * Ranked as a strongside defensive end; ^ ranked as a defensive end STATISTICS • Recorded 58 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and a pick-six in nine games. • Missed junior season with an ACL injury. • Recorded 57 stops, 11 tackles for a loss and four sacks as a sophomore. HONORS • 2018 Texas Region 10-6A All-District first team • 2018 Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State second team ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in Rivals Three-Stripe Camp at Houston in the spring of 2016 RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 20, 2018, and enrolled in January 2019. • Chose Notre Dame over Alabama, Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech and others. • Recruited to Notre Dame by defensive line coach Mike Elston. • Took five total visits to Notre Dame, with the official coming from April 13-15. NOTABLE • Born on Sept. 15, 2000. • Threw shot put and discus for Sachse High. • Played running back early in his football career. 2019 PROJECTION • Spears being able to contribute will be de- termined by how quickly he can get back to full speed and good health after tearing his ACL late this season. If he can get back to full strength and full speed, he will be hard to keep off the field. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Hunter Spears is a football player that will impact our team. I was sold on him from day one because of his strong demeanor and dedication to the traits." Sachse head coach Mark Behrens: "He's No. 4 in his class and has a 4.5 GPA. He's as solid as any of the kids I've ever had, and I've done this for 36 years. I think he'll be a perfect fit at Notre Dame." Defensive line coach Mike Elston: "A resilient young man that has worked his tail off to be a dominant force for his team. Hunter Spears played a high level of football in high school, which has prepared him to play at an elite level for the Irish." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Spears is a powerful player with an excellent punch and fast hands. With his strength, he can get op- ponents on their heels and then drive them into the backfield. These traits make him a terrific run defender and a dangerous pass rusher up the middle. "Athletic enough to play end for most of his career, Spears used his burst, foot quickness and closing speed to dominate at the line of scrim- mage this fall. Evidence of that is his 24 tackles for loss in just nine games as a senior. "His two knee injuries are the only concern." Positive Mentality Important To Hunter Spears' Recovery Spears recorded 58 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss and five sacks during his senior campaign before going down with his sec- ond ACL injury in two years in November. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL