Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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by first-round picks Bryant Young and Aaron Taylor). There is a quarterback in Everett Golson who ostensibly "fits" his offense, and athletes everywhere who either meet the physical profile — such as "Big Skill" players Troy Niklas, Ishaq Williams and Ben Councell — or boast impressive NFL Combine numbers, a la running back George Atkinson III and wide receiver DaVaris Daniels. The group did not enroll ranked quite as high as the aforementioned 2008 haul, and its crown jewel or linchpin — Fresh- man All-American defensive end Aaron Lynch — has transferred to the University of South Florida. Nevertheless, a lot is still riding on this class to put the stamp on the Kelly era. tory, its most esteemed defensive lines usu- ally had two classmates as centerpieces. Hall of Fame members Leon Hart and Jim Martin during the unmatched 1946-49 era in which the Irish were 36-0-2. First- round picks Alan Page and Kevin Hardy from 1964-66, while winning one national title and sharing another. Ross Browner and Willie Fry during two national title drives in the 1970s. Chris Zorich and George "Boo" Williams making a monu- mental difference as sophomores during the 1988 national title campaign. Bryant Young and Jim Flanigan in 1992-93 dur- ing two top-five finishes. More recently, second-round picks Abiamiri and Laws helped the Irish to consecutive BCS bids in 2005-06. Throughout Notre Dame's football his- HEAD OF THE CLASS Meeting those standards is what Lynch and Stephon Tuitt expected. They were trumpeted as the SEC-caliber linemen Notre Dame seldom lands anymore, and even veteran Irish offensive linemen took to labeling them "freaks." The dynamic tandem fed off each other, with the 6-6, 295-pound Tuitt possessing perhaps even more upside. With Lynch now gone, Tuitt's motivation has to come from within. "What drives me is I think about my family most of the time," Tuitt said. "I want the ability to help my family out. I want to stay humble. I want to stay on the right path and not do anything stupid. I don't want anybody to get in my way. "I just won't stop … no matter how hurt I get, no matter how down I get. Football players go through that phase where it's really hard, but I won't stop. When it's time to really answer the bell, and time to step on the field, I will be ready." There were some bumps along his 2011 road. In September, neither Tuitt nor Lynch saw a snap in the devastating 35-31 loss at Michigan. At the start of October, Tu- itt overslept one day and missed an early morning class, leading to a one-game sus- pension. In November, a bout with mono- nucleosis sidelined Tuitt for two games and took about 15 to 20 pounds off his frame. Each time he responded with a ven- geance, including a sack and three quar- terback hurries in the 18-14 loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl. "It just all made me a better man and a better football player," Tuitt said of his freshman year experiences. This spring, in addition to honing his fundamentals, Tuitt said it's about devel- oping his mental and physical toughness. "It's just another level, just being able to JUNE/JULY 2012 55