Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2013, 65 in 2012, 56 in 2011 and 53 in 2010. TUITT 'READY' FOR NEXT LEVEL Although Tuitt received a second- round grade from NFL scouts in De- cember, many analysts continue to believe he will be a first-round pick. On Jan. 30, ESPN's Todd McShay had Tuitt as the No. 15 overall pick, with nose guard Louis Nix III No. 17 and offensive lineman Zack Martin No. 19, after the latter had a stellar week of practice in the Senior Bowl. Tuitt was credited with more tackles as a junior (49) than as a sophomore (47), but his sack total dipped from 12 to 7.5, due at least in part to his battle to regain game shape at the start of the season. Head coach Brian Kelly said offseason surgery to correct a sports hernia prevented Tuitt from a regular preseason training routine. The Georgia product opted to leap to the pro level on the advice of his family and high school coaching men- tors. He leaves school two semesters shy of earning his diploma. "I'm ready to take my game to an- other level," Tuitt told SI.com. "Re- search had nothing to do with it. All I did was work out pros and cons, and that helped me realize I have more pros than cons and I'm ready to go. I'm comfortable and confident, and I'm ready to take this step." BYE, GEORGE By the end of the 2013 season, At- kinson was the third option in Notre Dame's backfield. So when he joined Tuitt and Niklas at the end of the season in submitting paperwork for a draft evaluation by the NFL, most from the outside might not have taken it seriously. Yet Jan. 7, Atkinson made it official that he's turning pro. "I guess it's like anything else when you feel you're ready for something and the time is proper for you," said Atkinson's father, George Jr., an NFL star for the Oakland Raiders from 1968-77, in an interview with Blue & Gold Illustrated. "If you have an oppor- tunity, why not try to seize it?" Atkinson finished his Notre Dame career with 3,144 all-purpose yards, mostly on kickoff returns, and 12 touchdowns. The Irish pegged the speedster as their No. 1 back at the start of the 2013 season, but he never fully seized the position. He finished Atkinson will rely on his game-breaking speed to help him land on an NFL roster in 2014. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA