Blue and Gold Illustrated

45-3 Sept. 27, 2025 Purdue

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539676

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 17 of 55

BY TYLER JAMES S cott Raridon Jr. knew about the peaks and valleys of college foot- ball from his own career as a long snapper and offensive lineman at Notre Dame from 2002-05. But watching his son, Eli Raridon, go through the pro- cess from West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High to Notre Dame brought new lessons. Unfortunately, those lessons started when Eli tore the ACL in his right knee in December of his senior year at Valley High. Five games into his freshman sea- son as a tight end for the Irish, Eli tore the same ACL again. "The experience as a parent is a very dramatic roller-coaster ride," Scott said, "because you get very excited and happy for your child to accomplish some things at a very high level. If you let yourself get carried away with it, you're at a very, very high point of the roller- coaster ride and things are going well. Then when you suffer an injury like he has, it's crushing. "You feel terrible for him and you feel all your hopes that were happening for that season are ELI STAYS EVEN Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon tries to stay grounded through ups and downs Raridon led Notre Dame in receptions (9) and receiving yards (182) through the first two games of the season. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP 18 SEPT. 27, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Blue and Gold Illustrated - 45-3 Sept. 27, 2025 Purdue