Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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making things happen," Bryant said. "I know I can do that. You just have to be fearless. Football is football. It's what we've been doing since we were little. One man won't bring you down. "Returning is different from running back because you have to catch the ball. In college, the kick is higher — like Kyle Brindza, he woke me up a bit when I first got here. He kicked it a lot higher than the average high school punter would kick it. It's not that different, but once you catch the ball it's like you're running through a hole." GRACE PERIOD On March 28, Notre Dame senior line- backer Jarrett Grace underwent his sec- ond leg surgery in the last six months. By the mid-May, the team expects to find out if Grace will be healthy enough to contribute in 2014. Grace started three games at Mike linebacker in 2013 and led the team in tackles (40) before an awkward stop Oct. 5 versus Arizona State broke his leg in at least four different places. Surgeons inserted a rod in Grace's leg March 28 to help stabilize his bones during the healing process. Head coach Brian Kelly said the first six months of healing gave Grace at least a chance to play in 2014. "The surgery went well," Kelly said. "If he went in there and there was in- stability in the four breaks, I think there would've been some concern about whether he'd make it back in the fall. But the indication is that he had great growth there. "The rod is for stabilization. If he heals the way he did prior to [the sec- Rashad Kinlaw Dismissed From Team On April 4, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly revealed that sophomore quarterback Rashad Kinlaw was no longer a part of the Fighting Irish football team. According to Kelly, he dismissed Kinlaw and indicated he did not know if he was even still a student at the university. "He didn't live up to the rules of our football program that I lay out," Kelly sum- marized. During the first 10 practices of spring, Kinlaw worked with the third unit of a group that featured junior KeiVarae Russell and sophomore Cole Luke as the start- ers. Seniors Matthias Farley (the top nickel back), Jalen Brown and Josh Atkinson have more experience on the field than Kinlaw. The position will become more crowded this summer when fifth-year senior transfer Cody Riggs arrives from Florida with 26 career starts and sophomore Devin Butler returns to full health following shoulder surgery. Kinlaw came to Notre Dame as a four-star prospect, and was ranked by 247Sports as the seventh-best athlete in the country and the ninth-best player from the state of New Jersey. Although he was projected to play cornerback, the former high school quarterback frequently ran the scout team offense during his redshirt season when the Irish were preparing to face an athletic dual-threat opponent at that position. His absence leaves Notre Dame with 83 scholarship players on its expected 2014 roster, with 85 the NCAA limit. — Lou Somogyi KINLAW