Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Irish players at the NFL Combine. Some of the intrigue surrounding the Stock- ton, Calif., product is because of his spe- cial teams contributions at Notre Dame. He had two kickoff touchdown returns as a freshman in 2011 and, as NFL Net- work analyst Mike Mayock has noted, special teams might be his ticket to see- ing the field. "I definitely weighed that in as a factor," Atkinson said. "Coming into the league, the quickest way to see the field is special teams, and I did that my whole career at Notre Dame. I feel con- fident in that aspect of it." When Atkinson contemplated his fu- ture between the Dec. 28 bowl game suspension and the Jan. 8 announce- ment, he sought advice from his father, George Atkinson Jr., who played with the Oakland Raiders from 1968-77. "He's given me a ton of advice," the younger Atkinson said. "I take his ad- vice very seriously. He's been at this level for many years and been involved with the Raider organization and things like that. He really guided me and helped me with this decision. "He knows I play running back. That plays a factor with getting injured and things like that. He said, 'You're healthy now and you know what it takes to make a team.'" LOUIS NIX III SLIMS DOWN FOR PRO SCOUTS Louis Nix III hasn't stopped eating potato chips. They just took a different form during his pre-NFL Combine diet, he said. The former Notre Dame nose guard had lost 23 pounds from his now 6-2, 331-pound frame since the end of the 2013 season, a year in which, he admits, he did not reach team or individual goals. Former Irish nose guard Louis Nix III said he dropped 23 pounds prior to the NFL Combine by switching to a salad-heavy diet. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA