Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/380743
UNDER THE DOME TIM RUDNICK: 1952-2014 Former 1971-73 Notre Dame cornerback Tim Rudnick, who was featured in the Sept. 23, 2013, edition of Blue & Gold Illustrated, passed away Sept. 7 after a battle with cancer. He was 62. One of the top walk-ons at Notre Dame the past 50 years, Rudnick was not listed among the 44 freshman football players in the 1970 football media guide, but he was put on scholarship his sophomore year by head coach Ara Parseghian after shining on the scout team. Rudnick was issued graduated 1970 Heisman Trophy runner-up Joe Theismann's No. 7 jersey in 1971 and started at cornerback in 1972 and 1973. CHARTING THE IRISH PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE Forty-four former Notre Dame players appeared in NFL training camps during this preseason, which ranked ninth among college football programs. Thirty-seven remained on an active roster (28), practice squad (six) or injury list (three) when the season began Sept. 4. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has improved the program's NFL output since arriving in 2010, with this year's crop of NFL rookies standing out among the group. Nine former Irish players partici- pated in the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in February. Eight of those nine were selected in the NFL Draft in May. Only Alabama (12) and LSU (11) received more combine invitations than Notre Dame. Only those two schools plus Florida and Florida State ran more players through the NFL Combine the past two years than Notre Dame's 17. Three players (running back George Atkinson III, tight end Troy Niklas and defensive end Stephon Tuitt) even declared for the NFL as juniors last January. "I want guys to come to Notre Dame, get their degree, help us win a national championship, and be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft," Kelly said in February. "That's what I want, if that's what they want." With a small senior class, the Irish will almost certainly send fewer players to the NFL Combine and produce fewer draft picks in 2015, but Kelly has proved that his program has provided a greater NFL presence at Notre Dame. TOTAL NUMBER OF ALUMNI ON NFL ROSTERS DURING 2014 TRAINING CAMP 44 Notre Dame 57 USC 56 Miami 56 LSU 54 Alabama 52 Ohio State 51 Florida State 48 Georgia 47 Florida 43 Oregon