WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
"It was just one or two turnovers
or one or two situations that held us
back," he noted. "The core athletes,
looking back, it was an honor to be
playing with those guys. I always
say, what if that ball against Colorado
would have hit the ground? How
much would it have changed that year,
and even the year after?"
Hamilton eventually moved on to
carve out a 14-year career in the Arena
Football League, with stops in Grand
Rapids, Carolina, Milwaukee, Dallas
and Philadelphia. He enjoyed a few
shots at the NFL, most notably with
the Detroit Lions in 2005, but didn't
stick in that league.
"I was really surprised coming
out," he said. "I found out later that
the one really bad game I had was
when all the scouts were there. It was
at Boston College, and I was 0 for 3.
I didn't have a great pro day. It was
frustrating.
"I didn't understand what it took to
be in the NFL. I signed with a small
agent out of my hometown and ex-
pected him to do all the work, when I
could have been making some phone
calls and really expressing how much
it meant to me. It's time and luck and
skill. They all need to come together
for you at one time."
He has done stints as a brand ambas-
sador for Sazerac, a liquor company,
and as state manager for House Spirits
Distillery. These days, he's a stay-at-
home dad coaching his kids.
That is, when he's not answering
the inevitable questions about a cer-
tain moment in Michigan-Notre Dame
lore. ❏
