Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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KeiVarae Russell Undergoes Surgery Senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell might have played his last game at Notre Dame in the 19-16 victory over Boston College at Fenway Park Nov. 21. The senior suffered a fractured tibia on the Eagles' final drive of the game — Notre Dame initially called it a stress fracture in his foot after the game — and underwent surgery Nov. 23 to insert a rod. Head coach Brian Kelly called it a six- to eight-week process with the possibility he could return for the Jan. 11 national championship game if Notre Dame were to make it that far. "All I ever wanted to do when com- ing to Notre Dame was WIN," Russell posted on Instagram. "As a starter I was apart [sic] of 31 games WON out of the 37 I started, so I can say I'm a winner. Sucks to end for me when we are so close! But gotta keep a high head and be the best teammate pos- sible from the sideline. During war some individuals must go down. And still, the motto of the soldiers must remain the same. To my ND bros, #Ac- complishtheMission!" Russell is eligible to return in 2016 if he chooses, but he has had his eyes set on the NFL for a few years now. It's likely he would have left as a junior had his 2014 season not been wiped out by suspension. In his place, the Irish turned to three inexperienced options in junior Devin Butler, sophomore Nick Watkins and freshman Nick Coleman. "Devin Butler started against Stanford last year," Kelly said. "So Devin's got some starting experience and has played a lot. But we'd like to see Nick Watkins. We'd like to see Coleman. We'd like to see all three of them in the game and contributing. "We think all of them can contribute. And we don't necessarily have to rely on one guy. We think all three of them as a combination might be the best way to go." — Andrew Owens UNDER THE DOME Russell suffered a fractured tibia in his right leg on the final drive of the game in Notre Dame's 19-16 victory over Boston College at Fenway Park Nov. 21, and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA