Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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said in February. "That is so impor- tant, that I can have a demo squad that I can put out there that can help us prepare for the team that we're play- ing that week. Sometimes it would be better if I just put an orange cone out there. Now, I've got some guys that can actually help us prepare, and we need to continue to develop that as we move forward." Five handpicked walk-ons per year would eventually give Notre Dame's staff a full arsenal of quality scout team depth. But convincing high school seniors to pass on a scholar- ship or guaranteed playing time at a lower level of competition is not an easy feat. History, both Kelly's and Notre Dame's, gives the Irish an upper hand in that battle. "Some may have been lifelong Notre Dame fans. Some have ties to the uni- versity. Some recognize a Notre Dame degree," Kelly said. "And others know that I put walk-ons on scholarship." Kelly's track record of granting scholarships to those that earn their keep helps attract ambitious players. He's rewarded a walk-on in three of his first five years at the school — kicker David Ruffer in 2011, safety Chris Salvi in 2012 and linebacker Joe Schmidt in 2013. Ruffer became one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award. Salvi now plays professional football in Italy. Schmidt vaulted from a special teams standout to a player Kelly said he couldn't afford to take off the field on defense this spring. Schmidt came to South Bend from Southern California to chase the same boyhood dreams of playing for the Irish that bring many walk-ons to the 5 a.m. tryout sessions. This year, he served as a poster child for the pre- ferred walk-ons that Notre Dame re- cruited. "I talked to tons of kids," he said. "For me there weren't a lot of re- sources. These guys aren't really walk- ons and aren't really scholarship guys. It's this gray area and you don't really know how you're going to be treated. "I have a unique perspective. Now I've been able to see it from all ends. I firmly believe that if you work hard enough and you give everything you have it's possible [to earn a scholar- ship]." Schmidt is just the latest example in a long list of Notre Dame players who have jumped from the scout team to the spotlight. Nick Rassas was Notre Dame's first walk-on to earn All-American status in the post-World War II era. He played both running back and defensive back for the Irish in 1964. He moved to defense full-time the following year where he was a consensus All-Amer- ica pick and set a school record by returning three punts for touchdowns. A half-century later, Shane Walton duplicated the All-American feat and was voted the team's MVP in 2002. He started his college career on the Irish soccer team, but decided to switch sports after an assistant coach stum- bled upon film of Walton's high school football days. Many of other chapters were added to Notre Dame's walk-on lore between Rassas and Walton. Two walk-ons were on the field in 1988 when Lou Holtz's team beat No. 1 Miami. It was the first career start for offensive guard