Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS is why he is our midseason offensive player of the year. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GOLDEN TATE Through eight games, Tate caught 55 passes for 800 yards and three touchdowns. His yardage total ranked fourth in the NFL, while he was fifth in receptions. During a five-game stretch begin- ning in early October, Tate notched 100-yard receiving games four times and scored three touchdowns. His fi- nal performance of the first half of the season helped the Lions overcome a 21-0 second-half deficit to beat the At- lanta Falcons 22-21 in London. In the third quarter, he ran a go route and hauled in a pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford and scampered 59 yards to ignite the 6-2 Lions' offense. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: HARRISON SMITH Smith missed the second half of 2013 due to a toe injury, but he hasn't missed a beat in his return to the Minnesota Vikings' starting lineup in 2014. Stationed next to fellow Notre Dame graduate Robert Blanton in the Vikings secondary, Smith has lived up to his reputation as one of the league's hardest hitters. Through nine games, Smith had recorded 49 tackles, six passes de- fended, one forced fumble and three interceptions, including one he re- turned for a touchdown in week one. Without star running back Adrian Peterson, Minnesota has depended on its defense even more this season, and Smith's efforts are a major reason why the Vikings (4-5) were still on the fringe of playoff contention after nine games. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: ZACK MARTIN Few teams can be happier with their first-round selection from last May's NFL Draft than the Dallas Cowboys. With many calls to select former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, the Cowboys stood behind starter Tony Romo and drafted former Irish offensive lineman Zack Martin. So far, it's worked out perfectly for Dal- las (6-3). It took until the team's ninth game for an opposing defense to hold run- ning back DeMarco Murray short of 100 yards, an NFL record. After starting at left tackle for four straight years, Martin now starts at right guard and has adjusted well to the change. SURPRISE OF THE YEAR: THEO RIDDICK Like Tate, former Notre Dame run- ning back Theo Riddick has proved to be a valuable member of the Detroit Lions offense, while Johnson and run- ning back Reggie Bush battle linger- ing injuries. Riddick has sparked the 6-2 Li- ons' offense with a pair of 70-yard receiving performances and demon- strated his playmaking ability with an outstanding one-handed grab to extend the final drive of the 22-21 win against Atlanta.