Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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in the trenches andrew owens H Developing 'Tough Gentlemen' ead coach Brian Kelly lauded his team's mindset in its 23-13 win over BYU Nov. 23, saying the team carried a "single-minded focus" on that day and swept aside the ugly loss to Pittsburgh, frigid temperatures and snow, and tackled the task at hand. The attitude resulted in possibly the most complete output in all facets by the Irish this season. The problem for Notre Dame is that type of performance has rarely been on display in 2013. "We want tough gentlemen, and I want tough guys on the field and I want gentlemen off the field," Kelly said. "There have been times that we've played like gentlemen, and I don't want to play like gentlemen. I want to play like the way we played [against BYU]. "We've got great kids, and we've got to be able to turn the switch on and play physical football regardless of whether we throw it 60 times a game or run it 70 times a game. It's an attitude." Playing too much like gentlemen is hardly a new complaint with Notre Dame football. Oftentimes during the past decade, a highly touted recruit would show up in South Bend and hardly make a mark on the field. Former Irish linebacker Manti Te'o is an example of a "tough gentleman" at Notre Dame who succeeded on the field. photo by joe raymond The stereotype extends back decades. During the 1970s, it manifested itself with standout Notre Dame athletes who struggled in the NFL. Ken MacAfee (1974-77) still holds the single-season school record for tight ends with six touchdown receptions. He finished third in the