Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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under the DOME By Dan Murphy F ollowing a typical Saturday practice in fall camp, Danny Spond stood, with the help of a cane, to tell his teammates he wouldn't be playing with them this season. A recurring medical issue forced Spond to gingerly walk away from the game that brought him to Notre Dame. Head coach Brian Kelly confirmed two weeks into training camp that Spond's career was over because of medical reasons. He said the senior outside linebacker would remain with the team for the 2013 season, but wouldn't be back in pads. A year ago, Spond suffered a series of intense migraine headaches, which left one side of his body temporarily paralyzed. While Notre Dame was preparing to play Navy in Dublin, Spond and a team of doctors were teaching his body to walk again. "It hit so hard and it was so intense. It was a complete numbness," he Retirement Plan Danny Spond Walks Away From Football Spond, who started the final 11 games of 2012 and made 39 tackles after recovering from a series of intense migraine headaches, announced Aug. 17 his career is over due to medical reasons. photo by joe raymond said last fall. "Like when your left arm falls asleep, that's what it felt like at all times, but it just covered the whole side of my body. It was a terrifying feeling." Spond recovered and started the final 11 games of the season at the drop linebacker position for the Irish. He made 39 tackles, intercepted a pass and was considered one of the most reliable players