Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE M any of the faces, coaches and team- mates around Jaylon Smith have changed, but the surroundings will re- main familiar after the former Notre Dame All-America linebacker rejoined the New York Giants for a second tour of duty. Smith, who played four games with the NFL franchise last season, was signed to the Giants practice squad Sept. 19, where he joined his former team following its offseason management overhaul. Since Smith's first stop in New York last season — and following its 4-13 record in 2021 — the Giants have hired a new gen- eral manager, head coach, defensive coor- dinator, and two new linebackers coaches. Smith, 27, was a consensus All-Amer- ican and the Butkus Award winner as the NCAA's best linebacker at Notre Dame in 2015. He became a second- round draft pick of the Cowboys in 2016 but spent his rookie season on injured reserve after tearing two ligaments in his knee while playing for Notre Dame in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Smith has appeared in 74 NFL games with 58 starts, recording 536 tackles (330 solo, 21 for loss), 6 forced fumbles, 16 QB hits, 10 sacks, 21 passes defended and 2 interceptions. He was named to the NFL Pro Bowl in 2019. In four games (two starts) with the Giants last season, Smith recorded 19 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass defended. Smith wasn't the only former Irish player to recently find a new NFL home. On Sept. 20, the Washington Com- manders signed center Nick Martin to its active 53-man roster. Martin, who was cut from the New Orleans Saints practice squad Sept. 10, spent the 2021 season with the Las Ve- gas Raiders as a backup center. A three-year starter at center and guard for Notre Dame, Martin was a second-round draft pick of the Houston Texans in 2016 and spent five years there until injuries cost him a roster spot. CAPPING A GREAT SEASON Former Notre Dame standout point guard Jackie Young became one of only two former Irish players to complete basket- ball's "triple crown" Sept. 18, when the Las Vegas Aces guard won her first WNBA title in a 78-71 win over the Connecticut Sun. The championship put Young along- side Ruth Riley as the only Notre Dame women's basketball players to claim a WNBA title, a NCAA national champi- onship and an Olympic gold medal. Young won her NCAA champion- ship as an Irish sophomore in 2018. She struck gold at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games as a member of the U.S. 3x3 bas- ketball team. And more recently, she became a valuable member of the first ever WNBA title team for Las Vegas. Need more? As a junior at Princ- eton (Ind.) Community High School in 2014-15, Young led the Tigers to their first-ever state championship. Riley won her national championship at Notre Dame in 2001, an Olympic gold medal in 2004, and two WNBA titles with the Detroit Shock in 2003 and 2006. Young, who was taken No. 1 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Aces, av- eraged 15.9 points per game during the 2022 regular season. A three-point specialist, Young shot 43.1 percent from behind the arc, good for third in the league. ✦ Smith, 27, played in four games for the Giants in 2021 and contributed 19 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass defended. PHOTO BY JEREMIAH JHASS/DALLAS COWBOYS Jaylon Smith Is Back In The NFL With The Giants M A R K E T P L A C E Call 877-630-8768 to advertise! 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 Notre Dame Game Football Weekend Available 2 nights ON Campus! Price Includes: Game Ticket, Parking for the weekend, Bed at Sacred Heart Parish Hall on campus, Stanford – $525 each October 14, 15, 16, 2022 Proceeds benefit the Student Scholarship Fund, South Jersey Notre Dame Club E-mail bill.burns.68@alumni.nd.edu Or call Bill Burns 609-368-1962 The "Rockne" B&B Newly renovated rental home available for all events in the Notre Dame/South Bend area. Often called "The Rockne House," it is located on Rockne Drive, just 1.1 miles from ND stadium. The home features a Notre Dame museum-like atmosphere, from vintage Rockne to present day items. Three bedrooms, sleeps 10-12 with two full baths. CONTACT AUGIE'S LOCKER ROOM 574-277-NDND (6363) kyleaugustine1@icloud.com IRISH IN THE NFL: WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS • Julian Love (Played at Notre Dame from 2016-18), S, New York Giants: Started and made 8 tackles with 1 sack in the Giants' 19-16 win over the Panthers … Has made 13 tackles with 1 sack in two games for 2-0 New York. • Adetokunbo Ogundeji (2016-20), DE, At- lanta Falcons: Started and made 6 tackles with 1 sack in Falcons' 31-27 loss to the Rams … Has played in two games (two starts) with 9 tackles and 1 sack for 0-2 Atlanta. • Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2017-20), LB, Cleveland Browns: Started and made 9 tackles with 1 forced fumble in the Browns' 31-30 loss to the Jets … Has totaled 14 tackles and a forced fumble in two games (two starts) for 0-2 Cleveland. • Harrison Smith (2007-11), S, Minnesota Vikings: Started and made 13 tackles in the Vikings 24-7 loss to the Eagles … Has made 20 tackles with 1 pass broken up and 1 intercep- tion in two starts for 1-1 Minnesota. www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 8, 2022 51