THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI
T
he elephant in the Notre Dame foot‑
ball room throughout the spring
was the future of senior quarterback
Everett Golson.
Will he return to the school this sum‑
mer for his fifth season of eligibility?
Or after his scheduled graduation in
May, would he rather exercise an option
to use his fifth season elsewhere, a la
Dayne Crist in 2012 at Kansas or An‑
drew Hendrix in 2014 at Miami (Ohio)?
Such an inquiry would have seemed
ludicrous entering last November. With
Golson at the throttle, Notre Dame
had an 18‑2 record, and his name was
among the top five in the Heisman Tro‑
phy watch. However, a dismal Novem‑
ber, an injured shoulder, a proclivity for
turnovers (eight lost fumbles and 14 in‑
terceptions, not all his fault) and unnerv‑
ing body language during a four‑game
losing streak led to his demotion in the
Music City Bowl.
Sophomore Malik Zaire was named
the starter and earned MVP honors
in the 31‑28 victory versus LSU — al‑
though it was Golson (6‑of‑11 passing
for 90 yards) who led the game‑winning
drive.
Consequently, in the days after, Gol‑
son was reportedly rumored to be look‑
ing to complete his career at schools that
needed quarterback help and where
he would be an anointed starter. This
ranged anywhere from the home state
South Carolina Gamecocks to UCLA,
Silence Is Golson
During 2015 Spring
Despite the glamour of being a Notre Dame quarterback, Everett Golson preferred to lay low since not
starting the bowl victory versus LSU.
PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA
