Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DEC. 5, 2020 51 IRISH IN THE PROS BY ANDREW MENTOCK D uring a game on Oct. 13, 2019, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt dove at the ankles of then-Chargers quarterback Philip Riv- ers, forcing the veteran to involun- tarily throw the ball into the turf. The Steelers went on to win 24-17, but Tuitt tore his pectoral muscle on that play. It prematurely ended a promising 2019 campaign for the six-year NFL veteran. In just six games, he had 22 total tackles (six for loss) and seven quarterback hits. With 3.5 sacks, he was well on his way to surpassing his career high of 6.5, which he set in 2015. "It was devastating," Tuitt said on the Arthur Moats Experience With Deke podcast. "When you work ev- ery year to get better and better, and finally, everything clicks and then it's all taken away on one play, that can be very hard mentally. You're in a dark place for a long time until you're able to get out of it." His emotions were likely exacer- bated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Tuitt looked at his extra time away from football as a chance to rebound. "The pec is back stronger than it was last year," he said. "When you get hurt, the way I got hurt, at the time that I got hurt, I had nothing but time. So I just got an opportunity to really train my whole body and just fix a lot of things. "Also with that time off, I got a chance to heal other things on my body that were probably nagging, so it will actually end up being a benefit for the second half of my NFL career." Through 10 games over 11 weeks this season, Tuitt has already set a new career high in sacks with 7.0, good for 10th in the NFL. This also gives him 10.5 sacks in his last 16 games played. He's also in position to achieve per- sonal bests in tackles for loss (eight in 2015, 2016 and 2017) and quarterback hits (20 in 2018). The 6-6, 303-pound Tuitt had seven tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits during a 10-0 start. According to Pro Football Focus, Tuitt was fourth in the NFL in total quarterback pressures with 44. Two other Steelers have more sacks than Tuitt: outside linebacker Bud Du- pree (eight) and tackle TJ Watt (nine). Watt also is tied for second in the NFL with 50 quarterback pressures. It isn't the "Steel Curtain" of the 1970s, but it is Super Bowl caliber. ✦ Tuitt has rebounded from a torn pectoral muscle in 2019 to set a new career high in sacks with 7.0 (through 10 games), which ranked 10th in the NFL through 11 weeks. He also ranked fourth in the NFL with 44 total quarterback pressures. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS VIA TWITTER Stephon Tuitt Returns From Injury To Shine For Steelers Vintage Notre Dame Memorabilia Augie's Locker Room ND Stadium Items, Jerseys, Helmets, Autographs and One-of-a-Kind Rockne Items. COME INTO THE STORE TO SEE OUR RARE NOTRE DAME HELMET DISPLAY, 1900 - PRESENT!! Voted Best Notre Dame Collectibles in the Country! 1811 South Bend Ave. South Bend , I n 46637 574-277-NDND (6363) www.augieslockerroom.com FACEBOOK.COM/AUGIESLOCKERROOM NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAMES on VHS or DVD for sale, from 1928 to present. Contact Peter Rahas at 7700 Golden Filly St., Las Vegas, NV 89131 or call 1-702-395-2974 M A R K E T P L A C E Call 877-630-8768 to advertise in Blue & Gold Illustrated! Want a prayer published? Call 800-421-7751 NOTRE DAME IN THE NFL: WEEK 11 HIGHLIGHTS • Chase Claypool (Played at Notre Dame from 2016-19), WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Was targeted eight times and had four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the 10-0 Steel- ers' 27-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars … On the season, he had 39 catches for 559 yards and eight touchdowns (tied for fifth in NFL), nine carries for 22 yards and two scores, and five special teams tackles ... Became the first wide receiver in the Super Bowl era to score 10 touchdowns in his first 10 NFL games. • Khalid Kareem (2016-19), DE, Cincinnati Bengals: Recorded his first career sack and a quarterback hit in the 2-7-1 Bengals' 20-9 loss to the Washington Football Team … Has re- corded 13 tackles (one for loss), a sack and a quarterback hit through nine games. • Cole Luke (2013-16), DB, Washington Football Team: Promoted from the practice squad to the active roster and played special teams in the 3-7 Washington Football Team's 20-9 win over the Bengals. • Jaylon Smith (2013-15), LB, Dallas Cow- boys: Registered seven tackles, a sack and a quarterback hit in the 3-7 Cowboys' 31-28 victory over the Minnesota Vikings … Through 10 games, he had 96 tackles (tied for third in the NFL), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three passes defended and a quarterback hit. PAT CONNAUGHTON STAYS WITH MILWAUKEE Former Notre Dame small forward Pat Con- naughton signed a three-year, $16 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. It was initially reported that Connaughton would sign a two-year, $8.3 million contract, but after re-evaluating their cap situation, the Bucks decided to restructure the deal, adding an extra year and almost twice as much money. A five-year NBA veteran, Connaughton played the last two seasons with the Bucks. In 2019-20, he averaged 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. His new deal runs through the 2022-23 sea- son and, at its completion, he will have earned more than $27 million in NBA salary. — Andrew Mentock