Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/705594
UNDER THE DOME At least eight scholarship Notre Dame players, mostly sophomores, will change their jersey number from last season. Six of those changes will involve the coveted single-digit numbers among so many athletes. However, the No. 1 jersey will have to be earned week to week among team members, according to head coach Brian Kelly during a June 14 interview with the South Bend-based Budweiser 's Weekday SportsBeat radio show on WSBT. "That's going to be the player who exemplifies himself both on and off the field in a manner that represents all the things we want a Notre Dame football player to represent," Kelly told the out- let. "And he will wear that No. 1, be- cause it signifies that he's the best." Nobody donned No. 1 in 2015 be- cause running back Greg Bryant trans- ferred in August, and then tragically died this spring. Bryant wore No. 1 in 2013-14, and in 2013 nose guard Louis Nix III switched from his No. 9 to No. 1 his senior year. Single digits seemed to be especially prized by defensive players. In 1995-96, Notre Dame's linebacker corps of Kin- non Tatum (No. 2), Kory Minor (No. 4) and Lyron Cobbins (No. 6) all wore single digits. That has caught on more and more with the players — five-star recruit and freshman defensive end Daelin Hayes is No. 9 — which leaves a problem for the coaches. Said Kelly to WSBT: "I'd go out on the road, and we're closing deals with guys to come to Notre Dame, and the first question is, 'Can I get a No. 4, a No. 5 or a No. 6?' Now there are defensive linemen asking for single-digit numbers. "It got to the point where what we're going to do is we're going to compete for single digits and make it a merit sys- tem." The Irish head coach revealed that the single-digit numbers from Nos. 2-9 in the future will be awarded to play- ers based on a point system that he and assistant strength coach Jeff Quinn de- vised. In numerical order, here are the num- bers eight current scholarship players No. 1: It Must Be Earned Nose guard Louis Nix III donned jersey No. 1 as a senior for Notre Dame in 2013. Moving forward that right will be earned on a week-to-week basis, and will be given to the player that represents the Fighting Irish the best on and off the field. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND