Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 16, 2023 51 IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith a challenging rookie NFL sea- son in the books, former Irish All- America safety Kyle Hamilton feels like a changed and better player as he enters his second season with the Baltimore Ravens. Relegated mainly to nickel defen- sive duties in pass coverage last sea- son, Hamilton was mainly a situational player as a rookie. That all changed during training camp this summer when Hamilton secured the starting strong safety spot with the Ra- vens, the same position where he starred at Notre Dame from 2019-21. Hamilton's position upgrade with Baltimore — and the added responsibil- ities that come with it — have brought a fresh outlook for the 2022 first-round draft pick. "Being in that role that I was in last year, being the nickel, I think it helps me for this season," explained Hamil- ton, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. "Now, we have that card in our back pocket if I need to play there. Nickel also helped prepare me to play safety at this level." At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds with elite athleticism, Hamilton gained valu- able experience playing nickel last year. That has opened more options for the Ravens' coaches this preseason on how to use their starting deep safety. "He's obviously playing back a lot more than he played at dime or nickel last year," Ravens head coach John Har- baugh said. "But he looks good." Ravens cornerback Marlon Hum- phrey concurred. "I'm really excited to see Kyle in a bigger role this year," Humphrey said. "Obviously after playing some nickel last season, he's a guy that can now play anywhere." Instinctive and hard-hitting in run stoppage, and a solid coverage guy in pass defense, Hamilton said that bat- tling with three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews in one-on-one drills ev- ery day in practice has accelerated his development. With Hamilton's physical gifts never in question, the native of the Greek is- land of Crete is the first to admit that the biggest adjustment between college ball and the NFL was cerebral. And it showed at times during his rookie year. In Week 2 last season, Hamil- ton struggled badly trying to cover Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Hill recorded 11 catches for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, many with Hamilton playing in nickel coverage. A week later, Hamilton played the second-fewest snaps in a game that he did all season. But the decreased play- ing time allowed Hamilton to catch his breath and better learn the NFL ropes. By season's end, Pro Football Focus rated Hamilton, 22, as the NFL's sev- enth-best safety, drawing high marks from Ravens secondary coach Chris Hewitt this preseason. "He had a lot of growing pains," Hewitt said of Hamilton's rocky NFL start. "He's ahead of the plays this year. He really knows the plays now. We'll see big things from Kyle. I expect this guy to be a Pro Bowl-type player this year." Hamilton finished last season with 62 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 passes defended and 1 forced fumble, though he has not yet recorded his first NFL interception. In Year 2, Hamilton wants more. "The 2023 Kyle and the 2022 Kyle are two completely different people," Hamilton said. "The goal, ultimately, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl, all of that. I have high expectations for myself, for the team. And I feel like we can make all of them come true." ✦ Kyle Hamilton Is Primed For A Breakout Second NFL Season Hamilton compiled 62 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 passes defended and 1 forced fumble during his rookie campaign. PHOTO COURTESY BALTIMORE RAVENS FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Jewell Loyd (Played at Notre Dame from 2012-15), PG, Seattle Storm, WNBA With the WNBA regular season ending Sept. 10, the former Irish point guard ap- peared to be a lock to become the 2023 WNBA scoring title winner. Through Sept. 7, the 29-year-old Loyd was averaging 24.3 points per game, clearing the field by 1.5 points per game. While at Notre Dame, the Lincolnwood, Ill., became a two-time All-American and the first-overall pick for Seattle in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Matt Vierling (2016-18), RF, Detroit Tigers, MLB The Tigers starting right fielder is enjoying solid production in his third MLB season and his first with the Tigers. Through Sept. 7, the St. Louis native had played in 113 games and was batting .267 with 107 hits, 15 doubles and 7 home runs and 32 RBI. A fifth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018, the 26-year-old Vierling was a two-time All-ACC selection while at Notre Dame. Miles Boykin (2015-18), WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Despite catching only 2 passes for 11 yards in 16 games with the Pittsburgh Steel- ers in 2022, the former Irish wideout was being celebrated this preseason as the strongest voice in the Steelers wide receivers room. A third-round draft pick in 2019 by the Baltimore Ravens, the Tinley Park, Ill., native is expected to play a bigger role for the Steelers this season. For his NFL career, the 26-year-old Boykin has 35 receptions for 481 yards with 7 touchdowns in 56 games.