Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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16 SEPT. 10, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY ASHTON POLLARD A quick glance at the Notre Dame roster shows five scholarship running backs. Three of the five weigh less than 200 pounds, and just one ex- ceeds 215 pounds. A t 5 - f o o t - 1 1 ½ and 227 pounds, Audric Estime is the bulldozer of the group. Or so t h e m ea s u ra b l e s would suggest. I n a p o s i t i o n group full of ques- tions heading into 2022, especially after freshman Jadarian Price suffered an Achilles injury in June, one thing has become abundantly clear: Estime is not just a goal-line bully. "To just label him as a one-dimen- sional back is incorrect," offensive coor- dinator Tommy Rees said. "You look at the guy, and I would say 'OK, he's going to run people over.' But he can do more than that." Estime brings shifty footwork, the ability to move in space and solid hands to the table, too. He has lined up all over the field during the initial practices of fall camp, and he's even returned a kick- off. Will he be the return guy on game day? It doesn't seem like it. That role is going to be filled by junior running back Chris Tyree. But the fact that the Irish staff is even allowing him to give it a shot is a testament to his wide-ranging skill set, and he was rewarded for his work when special teams coordinator Brian Mason named him the Special Teams Player of the Day Aug. 17. "He's a beautiful guy but a violent, physical, tough, two-fisted guy on the football field," running backs coach Deland McCullough said. "That's what you want at all positions, but definitely at our position. This guy runs through there with great feet, the way he catches the ball, the way he protects the quar- terback, the way he runs with power. He's got speed. "He does all the things you want a lead back to do on a high level." Estime has changed physically as well. When he arrived at Notre Dame, he weighed 230 pounds with 16 percent body fat. He's now 227 pounds with just 10 percent body fat. The transformation surely contributed to his increased ver- satility, and Irish fans got a sneak peek of the new Estime in the spring when he led all Notre Dame players with 13 car- ries for 59 yards in the Blue-Gold Game. Despite having just one season of col- lege football under his belt, Estime is already a role model on the team. Fresh- man Gi'Bran Payne was not around in the spring, but Estime has rubbed off on the Ohio native in his short time in South Bend. "On the field, I would not want to tackle him myself," Payne said with a smile. "He's a scary, great runner who loves the game." 'BIGGEST CLOWN' While his measurables don't even begin to tell the story of Estime on the field, his background matches up a little better with his personality. He's bois- terous, confident, and unafraid of any- one or anything, so it's not too surpris- ing he played high school football at St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, N.J. "Jersey has great football," Estime said. "It's known for physical football, the best of the best. If you look at all the players who come to Notre Dame and are all across the NFL, there are a lot of New Jersey guys. I feel like there's a cer- tain standard and something you have to uphold when you're from Jersey." There are currently eight players from New Jersey on the Irish roster. While Estime technically lived just across the border in Ny- ack, N.Y., he can be counted as a ninth. T h a t ra u c o u s personality began to shine through on Day 1 at Notre Dame, as Estime wa s te d n o t i m e showing his teammates what he is all about. The moment he met fellow sophomore running back Logan Diggs was on Notre Dame's campus in Sieg- fried Hall last year. He walked in blast- ing music, although he doesn't remem- ber the song. Nothing was going to stop him from being himself. He just hoped it worked. "[Diggs] liked it and everyone else liked it," Estime recalled. "So I'm like, 'Dang, this is going to be a good three to four years.'" The two have strengthened their friendship over the past year or so, and they were camp roommates, too. Offen- sive tackle Blake Fisher is set to become a third roommate this fall when they officially move into their housing. "Audric is probably the biggest clown I've ever met in my life," Diggs said. "He's the biggest, goofiest guy in the locker room. But when he gets on the field and turns that switch on, he just means business. SKILLS GALORE Running back Audric Estime proves he isn't just a bludgeoning bowling ball on the gridiron "He's a beautiful guy but a violent, physical, tough, two-fisted guy on the football field. That's what you want at all positions, but definitely at our position. This guy runs through there with great feet, the way he catches the ball, the way he protects the quarterback, the way he runs with power. He's got speed. He does all the things you want a lead back to do on a high level." NOTRE DAME RUNNING BACKS COACH DELAND McCULLOUGH ON ESTIME