Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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290-pound Hayes versus the more physical sets. Nose guard also is ex- pected to be a tandem with Jones and junior Daniel Cage. At the three-technique vacated by Day, Tillery has held off challenges from classmates Elijah Taylor and Micah Dew-Treadway, but it's not out of the question that Rochell or Jones could slide over there. "We'd like to find our best four … we're going to play a lot of players on the D-line at different positions," VanGorder summarized. Tillery and Cage ro- tated in place of the in- jured Jones last year, with Tillery averaging 29.3 snaps per contest (351) and Cage 23.7 (261) while starting seven times and missing two games with an injury. Cage still had better overall numbers with 18 tackles (four for loss) to Tillery's 12 (two for loss). "There were too many 'almost' plays, and plays where we don't really finish what we're doing, and that costs us," Tillery said of where he wants to improve the most. "Just being controlled in my movements, knowing exactly what I'm doing — and doing it quickly. "Quicker, more explosive, more controlled … I can only dream of be- ing like Sheldon, but that's some- thing I'm working toward." While adjusting to college football last fall, Tillery became a feature at- traction on the weekly Showtime series "A Season With Notre Dame Football" due to his combination of humor, a cerebral personality, feeling natural in front of a camera and his gift of gab, including regular banter with Day. "I wanna be a doctor. I wanna be the president. I wanna be an NFL superstar. I wanna be it all," Tillery said in the fourth episode. Many times his "Terry Jillery" character literally stole the show — which might play a part of why he's being brought back to earth this spring. That also happened when on the morning of the Fi- esta Bowl, Notre Dame announced that Tillery would be only a specta- tor in the game because of a violation of team rules. "I know I have a chip on my shoulder, I know I have a lot of work to do," Tillery said earlier this spring. "It's something we've moved past and I think we get better for the mistakes that we make, and I think that's what we're doing." He admitted it was the proverbial wake-up call beyond the field of play that freshmen experience. "It's a privilege to play on this team and when you break rules, that's something that gets taken away," Til- lery said. "I know how lucky we are to be here. "I'm not perfect, and I think this proves that if you're given a lot, it can also be taken away." This spring, Tillery's adjustment to his new position has had a learn- ing curve, but he believes in the long term his skill set will lend itself to "I'M TRYING TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS EXPERIENCE. I KNOW THERE IS A LOT TO OFFER AND IT'S VERY EXCITING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING." TILLERY ON HIS COLLEGE YEARS