Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME tentially 19 scholarship defensive linemen — to lead. Projected in the sec- ond- and third-round area by most draft ana- lysts, the 6-2, 285-pound Day said his decision to return was relatively easy. "I believe we've got an opportunity to have a special season in 2015 and I wanted to be a part of that success," said Day, also in a re- leased statement. "I was blessed to play in the national championship game as a freshman in 2012, and I want to do everything in my power to reach that stage again with my guys." Particularly impres- sive is Day is on pace to receive his degree in management consult- ing from the Mendoza College of Business this May. " A d i p l o m a f r o m Notre Dame is truly spe- cial, and ultimately, it wasn't something I was willing to possibly leave on the table," Day said. D a y ' s p r e s e n c e against LSU in the Mu- sic City Bowl, after miss- ing most of the second half against Northwest- ern and then the Lou- isville and USC games — all losses — with an MCL sprain, provided enough of a boost to en- able the line and overall defense to hold the Ti- gers scoreless over the final 21-plus minutes in the Irish victory. " S h e l d o n ' s i m p a c t goes beyond success on the field," Kelly said. "His leadership as a cap- tain in our program has been instrumental, and I look forward to him carrying this role into 2015." The top reserve line- man in 2012 as a fresh- man and a starter in 19 games the past two years, Day has been credited with 96 career tackles (58 solo), with 16.5 stops for loss, 3.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries, nine of which came this past season. ✦ The return of Day, one of the team captains in 2014, for his senior year is a huge victory for Notre Dame's defensive line. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA