Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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football recruiting few months. Bruce understands that going to Notre Dame would give him an opportunity to play the highest level of football, while getting an incredible education. However, his relationship with Alford has made him even more interested than he could have even expected. "I've talked to Coach Alford a few times, and we get along real good," Bruce said. "He's a coach that cares about his players, and you can just feel that from talking to him. He wants me and the other guys to come to Notre Dame, but it's more than that with him. "I feel like he'd be a guy I could call and just talk with even if I didn't go to Notre Dame. Not everyone is like that, but he seems to be real genuine and care about the guys he spends time recruiting. It shows me a lot that he was able to get [four-star Florida linebacker] Richard Yeargin to commit and want to go there. That caught my eye." Bruce is the nephew of 15-year NFL wide receiver Isaac Bruce. The elder Bruce was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a key contributor during the St. Louis Rams' Super Bowl winning season in 1999. During his career, Bruce caught 1,024 passes for 15,208 yards and scored 91 touchdowns as a member of the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Sam and Isaac stay in constant contact, and not only does the standout sophomore look up to his uncle as a player he turns to him when he needs advice. "I talk with him all the time, and he's a real good influence on me and someone I can look up to and try to push myself to be like," the younger Bruce mentioned. "He was one of the best receivers in the NFL at one point, and I love that. I just want to work hard, get better and get to where he was. He was always the hardest worker on his team, and that's how I am with my team. "He wasn't always the biggest guy on the team and that didn't stop him, and it won't stop me. I'm like 5-8 and 175 pounds. I don't need to be 6-4 and 220 pounds to be a beast at receiver. I'll use what I got and make it work. That's the fight in me. I get after it on that field." Bruce continues to amaze people with his acrobatic catches and elusive moves in the open field. However, he feels that his effort is what makes him unique. "I'd say that my energy, hard work and need to be great is what makes me different from all the other guys out there," Bruce noted. "I have goals. I want to get to the NFL, and I want to play big-time college football and get a great education. All that could be real if I work hard on and off the field. "I won't be outworked. My effort won't be matched. I want it more than anyone out there. I'm going to make it — I won't let anyone keep me from getting where I want to go. "If you are looking at me on the field and talking about football technique, my hands are probably the best thing about me. I don't like dropping balls. I punish myself for it and I do push-ups when I drop passes. If it hits my hands, I need to catch it. If my quarterback gets it to me, I need to bring it in. I can't be dropping balls. That's like losing money. If coaches see you dropping the ball, they won't want you to play for them. I can't have that." ✦