Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/311901
Draft (1972), the one‑time defensive end has dreaded inevitable requests for inter‑ views during draft week about players who didn't meet lofty expectations, but has been a good sport about it. He had four so‑so seasons at Buf‑ falo (1972‑75) before getting traded and having injuries end his career. In a 1993 interview with the Los Ange- les Times, Patulski admitted he wasn't mean enough to play in the NFL and had too many other interests. "I was always the guy who you would want to go out with your daughter," Patulski said. "I don't think I had the proper mentality for the game." 3. JIM SEYMOUR (1966-68) — The late Irish receiver was a three‑time All‑ American and considered a freak ath‑ lete, the Randy Moss of his time, with his rangy 6‑4, 205‑pound frame, mak‑ ing him the No. 10 pick in the 1969 NFL Draft. A ruptured hamstring in the Hula Bowl that was aggravated in the College All‑Star Game severely hindered his pro career, where he caught only 21 passes in three years. "I could still catch the ball, but they wanted speed and it wasn't there any‑ more," Seymour recalled years ago. "When the body tells you it's time to quit, you have to accept it." 4. CLARENCE ELLIS (1969-71) — Patulski's classmate was a two‑time All‑Ameri‑ can corner, one of the best athletes ever to suit up for the Irish. Ellis was taken with the 15th pick in 1972. Similar to Seymour, he played only three years for the Atlanta Falcons before retiring after a knee injury and going on to success in sales and education. 5. STEVE NIEHAUS (1972-75) — Arguably the most talented defensive tackle in Notre Dame history, Niehaus recorded 290 career stops — despite missing most of his first two seasons with knee injuries. His tackle total is the second most by a Fighting Irish defensive lineman, behind Ross Browner's 340. Niehaus was the No. 2 pick in the 1976 NFL Draft and was the NFC De‑ fensive Rookie of the Year with the Seattle Seahawks, but more knee prob‑ lems ended his career after his fourth season. 6. VAGAS FERGUSON (1976-79) — Fergu‑ son is one of three Notre Dame backs drafted in the first round since 1968. The other two were Greg Bell in 1984 and Jerome Bettis in 1993, with Bell twice leading the NFL in scoring and Bettis finishing among the top 10 rush‑ ers all time. Ferguson rushed for 818 yards as a rookie, but played spar‑ ingly the next three years while total‑ ing only 345 yards. "College wasn't about me going to the next level," he told Sports Illus- trated several years ago while in an ad‑ ministrative capacity at a high school. "I got my experience, I enjoyed it, and I was prepared to do something else." 7T. RICK MIRER (1989-92) & BRADY QUINN (2003-06) — Notre Dame's lone first‑ round QB picks since 1960 had tough NFL roads after record‑setting Irish careers. The No. 2 overall pick in 1993, Mirer did suit up eight seasons in the NFL, the first four at Seattle, before spending one season each with four