Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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It's a team thing and we roll in and roll out. "Everybody has to pay his dues, we all know that. We all compete at a very high level, and tonight was just my time to shine." Inside Fire; Exterior Ice When fall camp began, Folston had redshirt season written all over him. Juniors George Atkinson III, Amir Carlisle and Cam McDaniel were atop the running back totem pole, while sophomore Will Mahone became the camp's top surprise in the first week before incurring a high ankle sprain. Meanwhile, fellow freshman and Floridian Greg Bryant arrived with a little more fanfare with some five-star notice before getting shelved with a knee injury during the season. Folston, meanwhile, had a severe calf strain coming into camp which "hampered him probably the first three or four weeks," according to Irish head coach Brian Kelly. That was followed by a hip flexor. Even on his first big run, 36 yards versus Oklahoma Sept. 28, Folston slightly tweaked a hamstring. All the while, he worked extensively with strength and conditioning coach Paul Longo. "His conditioning level is high," Kelly said of Folston. "His strength is up, and that's why he was able to handle the load he did in the fourth quarter [versus Navy]." Senior quarterback Tommy Rees, who knows plenty about maintaining composure during fourth-quarter dramatics, noted that Folston's maturity has been a prime asset. "It's not an arrogance or anything bad, he's just a confident kid," Rees said. "Pretty nonchalant, pretty laid back, is always asking questions, wanting to get better. You've got a kid with that kind of ability mixed with the ambition and want to know what's going on, that can be pretty good." "I take pride in everything I do, whether it's cleaning up my room or going out and catching the football," Folston said. "It's never easy. It just takes time studying. I feel like I've picked it up, but there's always stuff to learn, and that's where great coaching comes in." Folston maintains that it's still a day-by-day process for him and he feels blessed to be in the position he is. "This program, it can take you far in life, football or not football," Folston said. "There are a lot of great people here, a lot of great people that I have yet to meet, and I feel like my journey here is just beginning." ✦ Folston was named first-team allstate and the Florida Today Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,722 yards and 16 scores as a senior at Cocoa (Fla.) High. photo by bill panzica