Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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60 NOV. 9, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE T o say that it's been a hard, strange and successful up-and-down trip for former Irish All-American Ronnie Stanley during his nine-year NFL career would be a grand understatement. A 2016 first-round draft pick (No. 6 overall) of the Baltimore Ravens, Stanley became a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019 before he suffered a horrific career- threatening ankle injury in 2020. After two surgeries, about two years of slow but steady improvement, and finally a return to elite form in 2024, Stanley has lived it all during his time in Baltimore. Finally recovered from ankle surgeries in 2021 and 2022, plus a lingering knee injury in 2023, the 30-year-old Stanley is finally picking up this season where he left off after his best season in 2019. In the Ravens' 41-31 win over Tampa Bay Oct. 21, Stanley earned the third- highest pass-blocking grade of any of- fensive tackle in the league that week, per Pro Football Focus, surrendering 0 pres- sures on 28 pass-blocking opportunities. Stanley's performance made him the only left tackle in the league — with at least 50 pass-blocking reps — who has not surrendered a sack this season. "It's been a long road back," said Stanley, who missed multiple games the last three years because of injuries. "But I feel like I can hold up through the entire season and get back to where I've been working to be." Stanley spent four years at Notre Dame from 2012-15. He earned consensus All- America honors as an Irish senior in 2015, and was named the Polynesian College Football Player of Year that same season. Stanley — who is of Tongan descent — takes great pride in his heritage. The Las Vegas native celebrates his roots through striking tribal tattoos, and fre- quent correspondence with his tight- knit group of loyal fans. "[Tongan] is such a small group of people compared to other races in America," Stanley said. "When they see someone of their ethnicity playing foot- ball, they all support us because there's only a handful of us." A NEAR MISS The WNBA playoff pursuits for for- mer Irish All-American shooting guard Kayla McBride ended Oct. 20, when her Minnesota Lynx were defeated 67-62 in overtime by the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. The victory secured the Liberty's first-ever WNBA title with a 3-2 win in the best-of-five series, and it left Mc- Bride one win shy of claiming her first WNBA title during her 11-year career in the league. McBride scored 21 points and added 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss, cap- ping a terrific 2024 season. The Erie, Pa., native finished second on her team during the regular season with 15.0 points a game, and she added 3.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest. The 2014 first-round draft pick (No. 3 overall) showed no production drop-off during her 12 playoff games, averaging 15.3 points and 3.8 assists — both the second- best marks on the team during the playoff — but still came up one win short of a title. A 2014 WNBA All-Rookie Team hon- oree with the San Antonio Stars, McBride, 32, played for the Las Vegas Aces (2018-20) until she joined the Lynx in 2021. ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Kyle Hamilton (Played at Notre Dame from 2019-21), S, Baltimore Ravens (NFL) The former Irish All-American and 2022 first-round draft pick (No. 14 overall) helped the Ravens to a 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct. 21. Staying true to form, the first-team All-Pro candidate was all over the field, finishing the game with 11 tackles. He also allowed 4 receptions on 8 targets for only 21 yards (2.6 yards per catch). Through seven games, Hamilton had compiled 47 tackles and 1 sack. Cam Hart (2019-23), CB, Los Angeles Chargers (NFL) The 2024 fifth-round draft pick and NFL rookie enjoyed a solid all-around game in a 17-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals Oct. 21, save for one ill-timed penalty. He finished with a career-high 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defended. However, late in the fourth quarter, Hart was called for a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty that sparked the Cardinals' game-winning drive. Julian Love (2016-18), DB, Seattle Seahawks (NFL) The former 2019 fourth-round draft pick continued his terrific second season in Seattle, recording 9 tackles and 1 interception in a 34-14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Oct. 20. He also allowed only 2 receptions on 4 targets in pass coverage in the game for just 23 yards. Remarkably, Love's tackle total against the Falcons marked a slight decline from his previous two games when he recorded 10 in each. Through seven games this season, he had 55 tackles and 2 interceptions. Resurgent Ravens Offensive Lineman Ronnie Stanley Back In Form I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Through Week 7, Stanley was the only left tackle in the NFL with at least 50 pass-blocking reps that had yet to surrender a sack. PHOTO COURTESY BALTIMORE RAVENS