Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE A ustin Collinsworth just kind of laughs when he's asked how much his famous father, Cris Collin- sworth, had to do with Austin landing at Notre Dame, because the answer is quite surprising. "Actually, my dad had very little to do with me coming here," said Austin, who ultimately chose Notre Dame over Stanford, Oregon and many other fine options. "I respected that he stayed in- volved in the process, but he completely stayed out of the decision." Which wasn't always easy. See, Cris Collinsworth knows a thing or two about football and recruiting. Currently an Emmy-winning color commentator on Sunday Night Football with NBC Sports, he was a first-team All-American wide receiver at Florida before enjoying three All-Pro selections during a solid eight-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. So, for dad to bite his tongue through his son's re- cruitment was tough, especially during one particular campus visit. "This is Notre Dame!" was the inter- nal message that Cris wanted to tell his son, but kept to himself during a tour of Notre Dame Stadium. "The great- est college players in the history of the world have walked through this tunnel out on this field. And this is where you should go and this is awesome." Austin made his choice and is now in his fifth and final year at Notre Dame. He's a captain on the football team, a master's student in finance and one of several Irish players who went through the college selection process alongside very famous fathers. Watch any given Notre Dame game and the stands are filled with some of the most recognizable dads in sports Famous Fathers Staying Clear NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson can often be seen at Notre Dame football games cheering on his son Cory, whom he has allowed to blaze his own trail. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA