Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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"I don't ever want to play worried about injuries," said Prosise, insisting that the season‑ending knee injury suf‑ fered by Tarean Folston last year did not affect his decision. "That played nothing [in my role]. "Just my uncertainty, maybe not knowing where I was going to be at, possibly being a receiver again. Be‑ cause I really like this running back role, and I like where I'm at with it, so that's why I want to take it further." Prosise hopes to follow a trajectory similar to the one taken by former Irish running back and receiver Theo Riddick, who has become an impor‑ tant part of the Detroit Lions' offense. "I definitely think I can mirror that," Prosise said. "Theo is a great player and played receiver at Notre Dame also. That's something I've been trying to mimic what he's done and take the steps he's taken." RONNIE STANLEY ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE QUESTIONS OF PASSION Former Irish left tackle Ronnie Stan‑ ley seemed as if he had to get some‑ thing off his chest during his media interview at the NFL Combine. Several times he brought up his desire to quash any doubts about his passion for football as teams con‑ sider using a top‑10 pick in this year's NFL Draft on the former Notre Dame standout lineman. "My passion for football," Stanley replied when asked what he is trying to sell to team executives this week. "I don't think people know how impor‑ tant football is to me and how big of a role it has played in my life. "I think there's a big core of people that think that I'm lackadaisical. … I'm just really trying to show people how much football means to me and how much I really do care about it." Stanley started the final 39 games of his Irish career, the last 26 of which were at left tackle. He said Wednes‑ day he does not care whether a team prefers him at right or left tackle in the NFL. The Las Vegas native, however, made it clear that his emphasis that week was on changing people's per‑ ception of him. "I'm not sure of the exact source," said Stanley, who added he considers himself the top tackle in the NFL Draft. "I just heard a few different things that Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, a potential top-10 draft pick, said he tried to sell teams on his pas- sion for football during interviews. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA