Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL 2024 37 "Getting you into that position so you can throw your hands, and then once you throw your hands, it's all about staying in front of guys and staying in- side-out, so I think it's very important." Because he has the basics down so well, Alt can play tricks on edge rushers by mixing up his pass sets to keep them on their toes. That is a very advanced step for a 21-year-old offensive tackle who played tight end in high school to take, and Alt explained how he does it like a pro. "I like to throw curveballs in there with my sets," Alt said. "Change it up with a short set, getting on guys ear- lier. But for me, it's a lot about reading the pre-snap, and then in-snap, how they're rushing, what's their angle." Alt even raved about his primary competitor to be the first offensive tackle drafted, Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Because two of Notre Dame's 2023 opponents — Ohio State and Central Michigan — faced Penn State in 2022, Alt got a chance to dive into Fashanu's tape and learned a lot. That speaks to how passionate Alt is about offensive line play, and football itself. "I've been raised in a football family my whole life," Alt said. "Watching my brother [Mark] do it, obviously my dad did it. So, I love the game. I sell myself on my competitive nature. I take a lot of pride." AUDRIC ESTIMÉ LETS HIS PERSONALITY SHINE THROUGHOUT PRE-DRAFT PROCESS Notre Dame running back Audric Es- timé has several hobbies, he explained at the NFL Scouting Combine. He likes to cook. If he's trying to im- press someone, he can make a mean ri- beye steak. He likes to draw. He likes to sing, too, and he offered to give those around his podium a sample. A reporter from Boston suggested "Sweet Caro- line." "Sweeeeet Caroliiiine," Estimé sang. "Ba, ba, ba," several reporters re- sponded. If it wasn't clear by now, Estimé will instantly become a fan favorite for whichever team drafts him. He's humble, crediting running backs coach Deland McCullough, head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame as a whole with preparing him for the NFL Combine. Estimé also called offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher the best at their position in the draft, crediting them with much of his success. "A lot of teams like to talk ball, but coming from a great place like Notre Dame, I have the best coaches that have me very informed," Estimé said. "We just have the best coaches, the smartest coaches. We have a lot of smart players around, like Sam Hartman and Joe Alt. "I was ready for this, from my coaches and from Notre Dame." Estimé talked about several of his experiences in college, from playing in Dublin, Ireland, to going out with a ca- reer performance at Stanford. He even discussed his favorite memory or inside joke relating to Hartman's hair, remi- niscing about a hair flip that ABC cam- eras caught during Notre Dame's win over North Carolina State Sept. 9. "He's always doing that, though, so I'm used to it," Estimé joked. After three years at Notre Dame, Es- timé doesn't lack confidence. He said he models his game after Vikings legend Adrian Peterson. It's a lofty comp, for sure, but he explained it's because he's a big back who can move. In Indianapolis, he was out to show teams he can run routes and catch passes better than they think he can. Estimé got better as a receiver from his sophomore year to his junior year, but he didn't have too many reps to show it. Route-running drills at Lucas Oil Stadium were his chance to prove to evaluators that he can be a two-way back at the next level. Asked what he brings to NFL teams the most, though, Estimé simply said he's a winner. "I'd probably say I hate losing more than I love winning now," Estimé said. "So, I'm gonna be a guy that can help a team win, and I'm gonna do everything in my will to win." Estimé also talked extensively about his family at the NFL Combine, starting with his cousin and mentor, Terrence Fede. A former six-year NFL defensive tackle who has been through this pro- cess himself, Fede has advised Estimé on all aspects of being a pro since he was in middle school. He was also asked about his mom, Bertha Noisette, who tragically passed away in 2013. Estimé was 10 at the time, and his aunt and uncle, Marise Fede (Bertha's sister and Terrence's mom) Estimé, who rushed for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns last fall, finished among the top five running backs at the NFL Combine in the broad jump, vertical jump and bench press. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER