Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME REUNITED Dayne Crist joins Charlie Weis in Kansas BY DAN MURPHY D ayne Crist has decided to finish his college football career the way he started it — under the tutelage of Charlie Weis. The former Notre Dame quarter- back will enroll at the University of Kansas for graduate school this month and play out his final season of NCAA eligibility with the Jayhawks and their newly appointed coach, Weis. Crist graduated from Notre Dame in De- cember amid an amicable breakup with the Irish football team. His bach- elor's degree allows him to play im- mediately at his new school, bypass- ing the customary one-year waiting period for student-athletes who trans- fer during their college career. Crist said the ability to play right away was his top priority when choos- ing from the many schools that were interested in his services. The Canoga Park, Calif., native came to South Bend in 2008 as one of the top-rated quarterback prospects in the nation and was expected to build an NFL résumé at Notre Dame with the help of then-Irish head coach Weis. Two knee surgeries and a season behind sophomore Tommy Rees on the depth chart kept Crist from fulfill- ing those lofty expectations. He threw for 2,327 yards and 16 touchdowns while making 10 career starts at Notre Dame. Crist chose Kansas for the op- portunity to add to all three of those numbers. "Really the biggest thing for me is just having another year to play," he said. "Sure I'd love to play in the NFL someday, but there are no guarantees of anything. I just wanted another op- portunity to play and enjoy the game that's been good to me for a very long time." A chance to fulfill those pro football 8 FEBRUARY 2012 Crist threw for 2,327 yards and 16 touchdowns while making 10 career starts at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND hopes was second on Crist's check- list, and Weis was also the best option in that category. Weis, who coached successful quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in the NFL, was hired by Kansas on Dec. 9. Crist said he talked to his coach about the prospect of joining him "very, very soon" after. The two already have a solid relationship (as do Crist and Kansas' new quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus), and Crist does not have to learn an entirely new playbook in the next nine months after spending two years with Weis' offense at Notre Dame. Before Weis took the job at Kan- sas, Wisconsin was the frontrunner in Crist's second round of recruiting. The Big Ten champs were looking to duplicate their 2011 season success with senior transfer Russell Wilson. The Badgers boast a more established offense and a better chance to win im- mediately than the Jayhawks (who finished 2011 with a 2-10 record), which made the decision a difficult one for the quarterback. "There were so many things that go into a decision this big," Crist said. "It's not like you've got time to figure things out. It's not your tradi- tional four-year decision, it's a nine- month window really and you have to be right on it. It was a very tough decision." But nothing was as hard as watch- ing his teammates from the sideline during the past four months. Crist called his last season at Notre Dame the most difficult experience he ever had to deal with. The senior started the first game of the season for the Irish, but was pulled after a scoreless and sloppy first half for the offense. He said he realized shortly thereafter that his chance to play at Notre Dame had passed. Despite never posting the statistics he had hoped for, Crist leaves behind a strong legacy in South Bend. Irish teammates and fans went out of their way to express their gratitude for the quarterback who regularly vol- unteered in the community around campus and handled his trying times with grace. "It was bittersweet for both sides," Crist said about leaving his team- mates. "But it was the decision that needed to be made, and at the end of the day I'll continue to support and be close with those guys, but I have to go my separate way." BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED