Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 145 IRISH IN THE NFL IRISH IN THE NFL Name (Years At Notre Dame) NFL Season Pos. Current Team Josh Adams (2015-17) 3rd RB New York Jets Saw action in three games in 2019, carrying the ball eight times for 12 yards. Alex Bars (2014-18) 2nd OL Chicago Bears Played sparingly in five games under college coach Harry Hiestand. Jonathan Bonner (2014-18) 2nd DL Miami Dolphins Signed to the practice squad on Dec. 18, 2019. Miles Boykin (2015-18) 2nd WR Baltimore Ravens Grabbed 13 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. Chase Claypool (2016-19) 1st WR Pittsburgh Steelers Drafted by the Steelers with the No. 49 overall pick. Sheldon Day (2012-15) 5th DL Indianapolis Colts Recorded 15 total tackles and one sack for 2019 NFC Champion San Francisco. Tyler Eifert (2009-12) 8th TE Jacksonville Jaguars Hauled in 43 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals, while playing in all 16 games for the first time in his career. Matthias Farley (2011-15) 5th DB New York Jets Contributed primarily on special teams, recording six tackles on the season. Will Fuller (2013-15) 5th WR Houston Texans Caught 49 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Alohi Gilman (2017-19) 1st S Los Angeles Chargers Taken with the No. 186 overall pick. J.J. Jansen (2004-07) 13th LS Carolina Panthers Played in all 16 games for the 11th straight year. Khalid Kareem (2016-19) 1st DE Cincinnati Bengals Drafted with the No. 147 overall pick in the fifth round. Cole Kmet (2017-19) 1st TE Chicago Bears Selected by his hometown franchise with the No. 43 overall pick. Ben Koyack (2011-14) 5th TE Jacksonville Jaguars Appeared in 11 games and recorded one catch for nine yards. Julian Love (2016-18) 2nd CB New York Giants Appeared in 15 games, started five and finished 2019 with 37 tackles, three pass deflections, an interception and one forced fumble. Cole Luke (2013-16) 3rd CB Carolina Panthers Played in eight games, collecting three tackles. Nick Martin (2011-15) 5th OL Houston Texans Started all 16 regular-season games for a second year in a row and was named a Pro Bowl alternate. Zack Martin (2009-13) 7th OL Dallas Cowboys Started all 16 regular-season games and made the Pro Bowl for the sixth straight year. Mike McGlinchey (2013-17) 3rd OL San Francisco 49ers Started all 12 regular-season games, missing four due to a knee injury. Sam Mustipher (2014-18) 2nd OL Chicago Bears Spent the season on the Bears practice squad. Name (Years At Notre Dame) NFL Season Pos. Current Team Quenton Nelson (2014-17) 3rd OL Indianapolis Colts Started every game for the Colts and was named first-team All-Pro for the second year in a row. Tyler Newsome (2014-18) 2nd P Kansas City Chiefs Signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs April 8. Julian Okwara (2016-19) 1st DE Detroit Lions Drafted with the No. 67 overall pick to join older brother Romeo in The Motor City. Romeo Okwara (2012-15) 5th DE Detroit Lions Recorded 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in 2019. James Onwualu (2013-16) 4th LB Jacksonville Jaguars Spent 2019 on injured reserve. Troy Pride Jr. (2016-19) 1st CB Carolina Panthers Drafted by the Panthers with the No. 113 overall pick. Isaac Rochell (2013-16) 4th DE Los Angeles Chargers Appeared in 16 games and recorded 12 tackles with one sack. Kyle Rudolph (2008-10) 10th TE Minnesota Vikings Started every game and caught 39 passes for 367 yards and six touchdowns. Harrison Smith (2007-11) 9th S Minnesota Vikings Had 85 total tackles (65 solo), three interceptions, three forced fumbles and one sack on his way to a fifth straight Pro Bowl. Jaylon Smith (2013-15) 5th LB Dallas Cowboys Recorded 142 tackles (83 solo), 2.5 sacks and his first career interception. He also made his first Pro Bowl as an alternate. Durham Smythe (2013-17) 2nd TE Miami Dolphins Appeared in 16 games, starting 14 and catching seven passes for 65 yards. Equanimeous St. Brown (2015-17) 3rd WR Green Bay Packers Spent 2019 on injured reserve. Ronnie Stanley (2012-15) 4th OT Baltimore Ravens Started all 14 games he appeared in at left tackle for the fourth straight year, made his first-ever Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro. Golden Tate (2007-09) 11th WR New York Giants After missing the first four games of the season due to suspension, he snared 49 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns. Jerry Tillery (2015-18) 2nd DT Los Angeles Chargers Appeared in 15 games, starting three and recording 17 tackles with two sacks. Drue Tranquill (2014-18) 2nd LB Los Angeles Chargers Appeared in 15 games, starting three, and finished with 75 tackles (61 solo), four tackles for loss and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team as a special teamer. Stephon Tuitt (2011-13) 7th DE Pittsburgh Steelers Recorded 22 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits in six games played before missing the rest of 2019 with a torn pectoral muscle. Dexter Williams (2015-18) 2nd RB Green Bay Packers Appeared in five games and carried the ball five times for 11 yards. 1. Bennett Jackson's NFL Debut Not many players have the patience and determi- nation to pursue an NFL career for six years, even after failing to ever make a 53-man roster. This makes Jackson a rare exception and why it was such a power - ful moment for him and his Notre Dame family when he finally suited up for the Baltimore Ravens in week seven against the Seattle Seahawks. "It's definitely tough mentally," Jackson said. "It was a process I had to go through that was stressful and depressing at times, but I had a good support staff." 2. Two Fighting Irish Players Start in Super Bowl Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and defensive tackle Sheldon Day both suited up for San Francisco 49ers, starting in the team's 31-20 Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The last time two former Notre Dame players were on the same team in the Super Bowl was in the 2016 sea- son, when offensive lineman Ryan Harris and safety Da- vid Bruton suited up for the champion Denver Broncos. 3. Romeo Okwara's Off-Field Spotlight Okwara had a down season on the field, but his popularity away from the gridiron exploded. It started in September, when ESPN's The Undefeated profiled Okwara, his love for photography and the pictures he took of a firehouse in New York City. A few weeks later, GQ wrote about how Okwara is "The Low-Key Most Stylish Man In Sports," using a photo of the 6-4 defensive end in a jean jacket as the cover art. Lastly, his eclectic music tastes were on display when Inside Hook discovered that Okwara has a love for the Grateful Dead. 4. Quenton Nelson's Keg Stand Nelson not only lined up at fullback on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line with the Colts up 10-7 in the third quarter of a week 11 game against the Jaguars, but got the carry. Initially, the play was ruled a touchdown, which led to the ensuing celebration where four of his offensive linemen lifted him up, as if he was performing a keg stand, while he used someone's helmet as a pretend keg. The ruling of a touchdown was soon overturned by replay, but the celebration video lives on. 5. Three Former Notre Dame Offensive Linemen Named First-Team All-Pro Even before last season, it was difficult for naysayers to ignore the consistent success of former Notre Dame offensive linemen in the NFL, but now that's impos - sible. When the All-Pro teams came out Jan. 3, three Fighting Irish blockers were listed as first teamers: left tackle Ronnie Stanley, left guard Quenton Nelson and right guard Zack Martin. Former Notre Dame Players On NFL Rosters As of June 10 TOP FIVE MEMORABLE MOMENTS Undrafted rookies: LB Asmar Bilal, Los Angeles Chargers; S Jalen Elliott, Detroit Lions; WR Chris Finke, San Francisco 49ers; DE Jamir Jones, Houston Texans; RB Tony Jones Jr., New Orleans Saints; and DB Donte Vaughn, Los Angeles Chargers.