Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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MURPHY'S LAW DAN MURPHY the field this fall. Sophomore Corey Robinson is the son of 10-time NBA All-Star David Robinson. Senior Da- Varis Daniels' dad, Phillip, played 14 seasons in the NFL. Sophomore Torii Hunter Jr. got his name from his father, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner in Major League Baseball. Senior Amir Carlisle is more likely to join Daniels and Robinson in the starting lineup. He isn't related to any NFL players, but he spends enough time around them to be. His father, Duane, worked as the San Francisco 49ers strength coach throughout most of Amir 's childhood. When Carlisle struggled to find his role in the of- fense last fall he talked it over with close friend and mentor Frank Gore, a running back for the 49ers for the last nine seasons. Overall, one out of every 10 play- ers in the Irish locker room has at least one immediate family member with his own Wikipedia page. They range from walk-on Jesse Bongiovi's platinum rocker father, Bon Jovi, to offensive lineman Conor Hanratty's father, Terry, an award-winning quar- terback at Notre Dame and with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That list will continue to grow in the future. Notre Dame is heavily recruit- ing Cordell Broadus, son of rap icon Snoop Dogg. Broadus' high school teammate Nico Fertitta is already com- mitted to the Irish. His father, Lorenzo, owns the UFC among several other successful businesses. Beyond the obvious perks of bring- ing a man with a net worth greater than the GDP of the British Virgin Isles into your program's fold, the level of maturity that type of life fosters can be an asset for the team and the individ- ual player. Sanders, for example, has already founded his own non-profit organization that tries to promote self- esteem for disadvantaged youth and their parents. He just won't be able to find many clients among his new teammates. That maturity can help players ad- just to college life faster and make an impact early in their career, like Corey Robinson who contributed more than expected during his freshman season. "We'll actively recruit a David Rob- inson's son because that parent gets it," head coach Brian Kelly said last fall. "They know how important it is to go to a Notre Dame and get that degree." The downside to all this second- hand fame is the risk of developing a sense of entitlement. It's hard to pitch the underdog role when your game film is worthy of being narrated by Robin Leach (the host of the TV show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"). Most of the Notre Dame players in this category have accepted their silver spoons with a mouthful of humility, but it's hard to match the desire to succeed that comes from a lifetime of going with- out life's luxuries. It's something Kelly and his staff will have to guard against as the famous sons of Notre Dame start to become college football celebrities in their own right. ✦ Dan Murphy has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2011. He can be reached at dmurphy@blueandgold.com