Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 23, 2023 51 IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE J udging by website stories and pre- season NFL publications, there was a noticeable buzz surrounding former Notre Dame tailback Kyren Williams during his training camp this preseason with the Los Angeles Rams. The St. Louis native was performing so well during camp that suddenly the top storyline went from will Williams even make the Rams 53-man opening- day roster to might Williams eventually earn the starting tailback spot? In the Rams' convincing 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks Sept. 10, Wil- liams took another step to becoming RB1 after he earned increased reps in the game and posted better production than starting tailback Cam Akers. Williams finished with a career-high 15 carries for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns — a 1-yard scoring plunge in the first quarter and a 7-yarder early in the third quarter — the first two NFL touchdowns of his career. Meanwhile, Akers managed only 29 yards on 22 rushing attempts, for a dis- appointing 1.3 yards per carry. Williams, 23, also supplanted Akers as the go-to back in passing downs and goal-line situations. And by the end of the game, Williams ended up on the field for 65 percent of the offensive snaps (53) compared to 35 percent for Akers (28). The performance made Williams one of the hottest players available on the fantasy football waiver wire as the ru- mors swirled that he would replace Ak- ers as the starter and the primary tail- back moving forward. Williams, a fifth-round draft pick of the Rams in 2022, was expected to play his way into a more expansive role as a rookie last season until a broken foot suffered that June slowed his progress, though he did appear in 10 games and recorded 35 carries for 139 yards. Recovered and healthy this preseason, Williams caught the attention of Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford, who es- pecially appreciates his tailback's dual- threat abilities. "[Williams] is a guy that probably not a lot of people know about but unfor- tunately had an injury last year during training camp," Stafford said. "It took him a little bit of time to get back. But he's going to do a nice job for us both in the run game and pass game." While at Notre Dame (2019-21), Wil- liams recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2020 and 2021 and finished his Irish career with 2,153 yards and 27 touchdowns as a rusher and 675 yards with 4 touchdowns as a receiver. ✦ Rams Tailback Kyren Williams Shines In NFL Week 1 Williams finished with a career-high 15 carries for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Los Angeles Rams' 30-13 win at Seattle in Week 1 of the NFL season. PHOTO COURTESY LOS ANGELES RAMS FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Zack Martin (Played at Notre Dame from 2009-13), OG, Dallas Cowboys (NFL) After missing most of training camp because of a contract dispute, the India‑ napolis native opened his 10th NFL season with a dominating performance in a 40‑0 win for Dallas over the New York Giants Sept. 10. According to Pro Football Focus, Martin, 32, was the best offensive lineman in the NFL for Week 1 after allowing zero quarterback pressures to earn a 91.1 PFF grade on 51 snaps at right guard. Blake Grupe (2022), PK, New Orleans, (NFL) The Sedalia, Mo., native made all three of his field goals, including a 52‑yarder, in his NFL debut after earning the starting job during fall camp. The 9 points scored by Grupe were the difference in the Saints' 16‑15 win over the Tennessee Titans. Grupe, 24, went undrafted in the spring but beat out veteran Wil Lutz for the starting job. Alohi Gilman (2017-19), S, Los Angeles Chargers (NFL) After earning opening‑day starting safety duties during training camp, Gilman, 25, responded and made 9 tackles in the Chargers' 36‑34 season‑opening loss to the Miami Dolphins Sept. 10. Since becoming a sixth‑round draft pick of the Chargers in 2020, the Laie, Hawai'i, native has steadily increased his role with the team during his four pro seasons.