Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME favorably with [Georgia superstar] Herschel Walker (from a pure strength standpoint)." Williams is rated as the best offensive lineman in the state of Cali- fornia, while Jay Underwood and Mike Kiernan were elected Line- men of the Year in their respective states of Virginia and Kentucky. "The incoming linemen have such enormous size that if they hold out their left arm they may well be mistaken for a railroad crossing," Terranova wrote. All in all … maybe the greatest class in college football history, on paper. 30 Years Ago: Feb. 12, 1986 Unlike five years earlier, the first recruiting class under new head coach Lou Holtz arrives with a little less fanfare. Ten of the 22- man haul are from the Chicago area, with five alone coming from St. Laurence High. The three top recruits from that high school are linemen Paul Glonek, Jeff Pearson and Mike Harazin, while another offensive lineman, Tim Grunhard, is not as highly ranked. The fifth, running back/athlete Stan Smagala, is reluctantly accepted by Holtz only because predecessor Gerry Faust already had promised him a scholarship. (Grunhard and Smagala would become three-year starters and future pros.) The Irish also sign local product Anthony Johnson, a running back/linebacker from South Bend John Adams. Headlining the top-15 caliber class are USA Today Defensive Player of the Year John Foley from Chicago St. Rita and Woodruff, S.C., quarterback Tony Rice, an option wizard and Parade All-Amer- ican. The Irish also tap into Louisiana by inking linebackers Michael Stonebreaker and Rod West. 10 Years Ago: Feb. 1, 2006 In his first full season as a recruiter, head coach Charlie Weis and his staff lands what he terms "a killer class" that is ranked as high as No. 3 by Tom Lemming. The 28-man class is the highest in volume since the 30 in 1987, and is allowed because three early enrollees (running back James Aldridge, wide receiver George West and offensive guard Chris Stewart) are the first football early enrollees at Notre Dame and are applied to the previous year's record-low 15-man haul. Despite the numbers, the Irish fall short along the defensive line, but the six-man offensive line haul is deemed the best in the land, led by five-star tackle Sam Young, who edges out quarterback Tim Tebow as Florida's Gatorade Player of The Year. — Lou Somogyi Notre Dame SCraPer mat *Please add sales tax in in, Mi, and nC Mat is dropshipped direct from manufac- turer. Please allow time for processing and delivery. Orders placed by Dec. 4 should arrive in time for holiday delivery. BLUE AND GOLD ILLUSTRATED P.O. BOx 2331 • Durham, NC 27702 800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com Item #6523 ND Scraper mat $69.95 + FrEE S&h available in two styles: Football or Camo Show your team pride in high traffic areas with the Notre Dame heavy duty, durable rubber scraper mat! Scraper Mats have nibs that scrape shoes clean of dirt, debris, and moisture so that your home stays clean. The debris is then trapped below the walking surface. Clean up is a breeze, just use a hose. Mat features a high resolution image that won't fade! Textured backing keeps mat in place.