Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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sink. At least now it was in his hands. "Lo's been a team player," assistant coach Kerry Cooks said. "I think that he's working on getting back to his level. It'll be a minute, but he's been nothing but the best. He comes and works and by no means is he giving up his position. He has a desire to be a No. 1 corner for Notre Dame, and he's going to fight and battle every day." Physically, Cooks said, Wood is back to being the player he was a year ago when he was impressing the coach with big plays on a daily basis. Mentally, Wood is still learning to trust his feet. "You can just see some glimpses at times where there would be no hesitation where now there may be a little hesitation," Cooks said. "You can see that confidence building." The opposite was true for Collinsworth's climb back into a meaningful role. "Mentally? Maybe I have a screw loose, but I never really thought about it," he said. "I would go out there and run through a brick wall if they asked me to." Physically, though, the safety had a lot of rust to shed in the spring. It took nearly a complete calendar year for Collinsworth to return to full health. The week he felt strong enough to return to the weight room after his shoulder rehab, he wrenched his back and had to return to the operating table. Any hopes of a speedy return were shot. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said it took the safety almost the full month of spring practice to show hints of his old self. There were times when Collinsworth wondered if his body would ever again move in the ways he had previously to come to expect. In the meantime, sophomore Elijah Shumate was earning his reputation as the hardest hitter on the back end of Notre Dame's defense and securing a first-string spot next to returning starter Matthias Farley. Notre Dame's coaches told Collinsworth his summer workouts would be crucial. He had to close the gap between Shumate and himself if he wanted to get back on the field. The one element he had going for him was his knowledge of the defense, but he had to be strong enough and fast enough to execute. In August, Collinsworth said he "could just flat out do it" again. When Notre Dame released its first depth chart prior to the season opener, Collinsworth was at the top of the list at safety, back on track after a year of struggles. Wood had more competition to climb past, but landed time in the regular rotation at cornerback in the first two weeks of the season. He'll continue to be a significant contributor in the secondary. "A lot of this game, college football," Collinsworth said, "is just getting the opportunity to show the world you can at some point." The opportunity was there for Wood and Collinsworth in 2012 when injury ripped it away. In a blink they were seniors with a veteran knowledge that stretched miles further than their actual playing experience. College football sidelines are full of talented prospects that for one reason or another didn't get the breaks they needed to show the world they could. Through twists of fate and months of hard work, Collinsworth and Wood earned the only thing a player can ask for — a chance. ✦