Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 25, 2023 51 IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith 9 receptions for 68 yards through nine games this NFL sea- son, former Notre Dame tight end Brock Wright isn't necessarily posting All-Pro numbers so far with the Detroit Lions. However, the impact he made in a 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Char- gers Nov. 12 and the promise he's show- ing during his third year in Detroit still needs to be recognized. With the game tied 31-31 in the fourth quarter, Wright broke the tie with a 25- yard touchdown catch when he snuck free in the middle of the field off of play action, made the grab in stride at about the Chargers' 8-yard line, and went un- touched into the end zone to lift the Li- ons to a 38-31 lead. "Third-and-1, got the pop, got in the end zone, feels so good," Wright said in celebration of his first touchdown catch of the season. The Chargers managed to tie the game at 38-38, but a walk-off 41-yard field goal by Riley Patterson gave Detroit a 41-38 victory that kept the Lions atop the NFC North. "Feels great to be part of this win," Wright added. "Go Lions, one pride, baby." So while Wright's overall statistics haven't been overly gaudy this season, his timeliness always has been while he's becoming a fan favorite in the Motor City. The 2021 undrafted free agent en- tered Week 11 with 39 career receptions, seven of which had gone for touchdowns. A versatile commodity, Wright in 2022 recorded 591 offensive snaps and 170 special teams snaps in a variety of roles, with 24 targets, 18 receptions and 4 touchdowns. Wright played at Notre Dame from 2017-20 where he recorded only 7 recep- tions for 78 yards with 1 touchdown in his career but became a valuable blocker in both the Irish run and pass games, a simi- lar role that he is excelling in this season. "He's really growing," Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said. "The run blocking is getting better, the pass pro- tection is starting to show up. He's step- ping up, made big strides." ✦ Tight End Brock Wright Fitting In With The Detroit Lions Wright, who recorded 7 total receptions in his Notre Dame career, had 7 career touchdown receptions — including a 25-yarder in a 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 12 — in the NFL through Week 10 of this season. PHOTO BY JEFF NGUYEN/DETROIT LIONS FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Pat Connaughton (Played at Notre Dame from 2011-15), SG, Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) The former Irish standout, who won an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021, enjoyed the best game of the current season in a 118-109 win over the Chicago Bulls Nov. 13. In a season-high 28:44 minutes, the valuable reserve and 2015 second- round draft pick tallied 7 points and a season-high 8 rebounds. Through Nov. 14, the Arlington, Mass., native and nine-year NBA veteran was averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Kyle Hamilton (2019-21), S, Baltimore Ravens (NFL) The former Irish All-American didn't wait long to make one of the biggest plays of the game in a 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns Nov. 12. On the first play from scrimmage, the 2022 first-round draft pick batted a pass from Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson into the air, located it, corralled the ball and strutted 18 yards for a quick Ravens touchdown — the first pick six of his NFL career. Hamilton also added 8 tackles, 2 passes defended, 2 pressures and 1 quarterback hit in the game. Michael Mayer (2020-22), TE, Las Vegas Raiders, (NFL) In a 16-12 win over the New York Jets Nov. 12, the former Irish All-American caught his first career touchdown on a 7-yard scoring toss in the fourth quarter from Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell. The tally broke a 9-9 tie and gave the Raiders a 16-9 lead they never relinquished. The 2023 second-round draft pick and Independence, Ky., native finished the game with 3 catches for 19 yards, giving him 16 receptions for 178 yards on the season, heading into Week 11.