Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2021 13 UNDER THE DOME THEY SAID IT THEY SAID IT "Different coordinators, different coaches have different philosophies, and [this is] mine. We're going to recruit really well. I'm going to try and outwork you in recruiting so that over time when we step on the field, we have an advantage. That's a belief of mine." — Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman (Make Defense Great Again podcast) "This last year at Notre Dame is really why a 17-year-old kid makes a decision to attend a place like this. Full circle. When I made the decision to come to Notre Dame, it was not only for the football aspect, but to be refined as a young man off the field and spiritually. The first goal I had when I stepped on campus was to become a captain, and I was able to achieve that. Another goal that I had was to be able to impact the community around me, and I was able to achieve that as well. "When I reflect on my [last year] at Notre Dame, this is why I chose to come here. It was just a special year and I'm so thankful for it. I'm grateful for how things shook out this year, because it really was a testament to our buy-in, our traits. Coach [Brian] Kelly preaches to us to be smart, gritty, to have laser focus, to always have attention to detail and to have a great attitude. Our team really embodies that and it really showed." — Former Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes reflecting on his last season with the Fighting Irish "This past year at Notre Dame has been great for my development. Playing against the best of the best every day in practice, it's been awesome to see the competition aspect of that. Having to fight for a job — when I came to Notre Dame, nothing was promised to me. I had to fight for everything, especially with the pandemic kicking in. Just having that competition aspect, I really think brought the best out of me as well. Playing against the best teams every single Saturday, having the opportunity to play against the national champions in Alabama, Clemson twice, and just a handful of talented teams in the ACC, I feel like it really benefited me going up against that type of talent." — Wide receiver Ben Skowronek on how coming to Notre Dame as a graduate transfer helped with his development "I expect Drew White to be the best player on the field, even with Kyle Hamilton on the field. … You can al- ways count on him. He's an accountable guy, he's a genuine guy. That's always somebody that you want in the middle of your defense. You want the best player that's kind of vocal and will lead by example." — 2019‑20 Notre Dame starting rover and unanimous All‑American Jeremiah Owusu‑Koramoah on the 2021 defense "I don't think Brian Kelly can lead the Irish to a title simply because there are just so many hurdles to jump when it comes to academics and how the program's TV advantage has largely been neutralized. When Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State can sign anyone they want and Notre Dame has to pick and choose based on academics, it's just not in the cards." — Rivals national columnist Mike Farrell OF THE MONTH ➤ "The best kind of (almost) April showers. #GoIrish" — The official account of Notre Dame athletics (@Fighting Irish) after Irish baseball's 5‑3, walk‑off win over Louisville March 27 IN MEMORIAM: RON DUSHNEY AND LARON MOORE Former 1966-68 Notre Dame fullback Ron Dushney died March 12 at age 73. Dushney was a starter as a senior on the 1968 team that still holds the single-season school record for most points averaged per game (37.6). The Peckville, Pa., native was the second- leading rusher that year with 540 yards that averaged 5.0 per carry, and scored four touch- downs. He also snared eight passes for 117 yards before moving on to a brief career in the Canadian Football League. Dushney, Terry Hanratty, an All-American quarterback, and Bob Gladieux, the leading rusher at halfback, were nicknamed " The Three Amigos." They also were known as "The Owls" because of their nocturnal activities, prompting a warning from team trainer Gene Paszkiet that "you can't fly with the eagles if you play with the owls." Word also has been received of the March 29 death of 1991-95 Notre Dame de- fensive back LaRon Moore, an Indianapolis na- tive. A cornerback earlier in his career, Moore moved to safety and started on the 1995 team that finished 9-2 before losing 31-26 to Flor- ida State in the Orange Bowl. Moore was the fourth-leading tackler on the team with 70, and also intercepted two passes that season. — Lou Somogyi NEW FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA PLATFORM INTRODUCED Notre Dame fans now have a new video platform to use to follow the Irish. The school announced the release of Fight- ing Irish TV, which will deliver Notre Dame content directly to televisions. It is currently available on the Google Play store, AppleTV and Amazon. One of its first ventures was streaming the Notre Dame football program's 2021 pro day on March 31. Other content plans include an archive of every home football game since 1991, live press conference streams, highlights and video features. "We're excited to launch Fighting Irish TV and provide Notre Dame fans an even bet- ter way to watch their favorite Fighting Irish content on the big screen in their living room," said Rob Kelly, Notre Dame's senior associate athletics director for media and brands. "As in all things we do, we look at how to better serve our fans, and this opportunity to be a leader in the television application space with our archived content was no different. "I'm especially excited by the extension of our existing digital ecosystem that this plat- form makes possible in a world increasingly dominated by on-demand viewing." — Lou Somogyi