Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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football recruiting Catholic. He averaged 11.9 yards per carry and 220 yards per game while playing as the fullback in the Cougars' old school, Wing-T offense. Those stats could have easily been more impressive, Catholic head coach Jim Oddo said, if Hood had stayed in the game during lopsided contests. Oddo said in one game last fall Hood had only three carries — a 60-yard run and two 80-yard runs — before the coach decided to show some mercy. "He's got a hell of a stiff arm," Oddo said. "He puts that thing out there, and pushes them off. It's an instinct. He just hates to be tackled." His high school opponents are not wild about the idea of tackling him either. Hood ran for the high school track team last spring and opposing coaches often thought he was lost when he lined up before the start of the 100-meter dash. He looked like a shot putter who wandered into the wrong event, Oddo said. When he finished, usually right around the 11.0-second mark, no one thought he was out of place. Hood gave up track this year to focus on building strength for the upcoming football season. He is working with a private trainer as well as the high school's strength coach, who helps out in the Carolina Panthers' weight room when he's not at Charlotte Catholic. Coaches and recruiting experts believe Hood has the room to add another 10 or 20 pounds before he shows up in South Bend for his freshman year. Oddo, who will start his 40th season as the school's head coach in September, said Hood is the best player he's had. He knew Hood was a spe-