Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS ceiving yards (1,840) by a tight end. It all culminated in the Bengals using a first-round draft pick to add him to the organization. Eifert has all the skills to succeed and is healthy again, making him one of the most interesting Notre Dame graduates to watch in the NFL in 2015. NFL NOTES Through Aug. 23 • Former Irish cornerback Bennett Jackson had risen up the New York Giants' depth chart and was projected to be a starting safety until he suffered an ACL tear during the preseason that will keep him off the field all of 2015. During his rookie season in 2014, Jackson con- tributed to the Giants' practice squad before an injury limited him for much of the year. • Linebacker Prince Shembo is unemployed af- ter an eventful offseason away from the field. Shembo, who started 34 games and played in 51 during his Irish career, settled his animal cruelty charge in August after being arrested in May for an incident in which he allegedly killed his ex- girlfriend's Yorkshire Terrier. In the settlement, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a fine. Despite the resolution of his legal case, the At- lanta Falcons, the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2014, don't seem to be interested in bringing him back to the team after releasing him this summer. "I think that we are just happy right now where we are at with the linebackers," head coach Dan Quinn told reporters. • Kyle Brindza converted 2 of 2 field goal at- tempts (long of 49 yards), made 2 of 2 extra point tries and had amassed a 50.7-yard average on his three punts in the Detroit Lions' first two pre- season games. • Quarterback Jimmy Clausen led a second-half comeback in the Chicago Bears' 23-11 preseason win against Indianapolis Aug. 24. Clausen was 6-of-9 passing for 54 yards with one touchdown and one interception. "He commands the huddle," reserve tackle Charles Leno Jr. told reporters. "But he has a fire underneath him. You don't see it a lot on the out- side, but when you're in that huddle, and when he tells us to get on the next play or on the ball, you can see the fire. And I like that." • Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Ben Koyack caught two passes for 10 yards in his first two preseason games. • Second-year defensive end Stephon Tuitt in- jured his ankle in the Pittsburgh Steelers' second preseason game Aug. 23. He was carted off the field and will likely miss a couple weeks according to head coach Mike Tomlin, but surgery was not expected to be required. • The Buffalo Bills signed former Irish running back Cierre Wood in mid-August to give them an- other option in their backfield. Wood, who rushed for 2,447 yards and scored 18 total touchdowns in four years at Notre Dame, was not drafted, but was with Houston and New England and appeared in five games in 2013. He did not appear in a game while with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. • The Seattle Seahawks placed Kona Schwenke on their waived/injured list after suffering a knee injury in the team's second preseason game. Schwenke played on the defensive line at Notre Dame from 2010-13, but had converted to offen- sive line for the Seahawks. • TJ Jones is finally on the field for the Detroit Lions after the organization selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Jones missed most of last season with a shoulder injury that he originally suffered in his final collegiate game, the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl. Jones played 16 snaps in the preseason opener and caught one pass for 15 yards. He is also ex- pected to contribute on special teams. • Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin re- ceived a scare at practice in mid-August, when he went down with a neck stinger that originally looked much worse. He was down on the field