Blue and Gold Illustrated

June/July 2012

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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a regular. The Raiders kept only seven of- fensive linemen on the roster, so Sylvester's versatility was crucial. 8. David Givens, 2002, seventh round, No. 253 Taken in the final round, and only eight picks away from becoming "Mr. Irrele- vant," Givens became a favorite target of Tom Brady on Super Bowl champion New England in 2003 and 2004. Givens caught only 72 passes and three touchdowns in four seasons with the Irish — but he snared at least one TD in seven straight playoff games, including back- to-back Super Bowls, parlaying it into a $24 million contract at Tennessee before an ACL tear forced him out of football. 7. Pete Holohan, 1981, seventh round, No. 189 Originally a quarterback recruit and then a flanker at Notre Dame, where he never caught more than 22 passes in a season, he became a prolific tight end in the NFL. His 363 career receptions, mainly at San Diego and Los Angeles, were nearly as many as Hall of Famer Dave Casper (378), and a dozen ahead of Mark Bavaro (351). Holohan totaled 12 years on four teams. 6. Jim Mutscheller, 1952, 12th round, No. 134 The captain of Frank Leahy's 1951 team was in the Marines his first two years after graduating. When he tried out for the Bal- timore Colts in 1954, he was told he had "Army legs" — good for marching but not for running — and barely made the final cut on a team vote. Johnny Unitas, and also was twice voted the franchise's top blocker. He and Mike Ditka were among the first great receiving The tight end became a top target for tight ends in league history. For more on Mutscheller, see pages 60-61. 5. Wayne Millner, 1936, eighth round, No. 65 There were only nine rounds and 81 picks in this first draft, but Millner made the most of his low selection by becom- ing the favorite target of Slingin' Sammy Baugh for the Boston Redskins, who moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937 and beat the Chicago Bears 28-21 for the NFL title with Millner catching 78- and 55-yard touchdowns from Baugh. Millner was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 even though his NFL career was interrupted when he served in World War II for three years. 4. Ryan Grant, 2005, not drafted Despite running a 4.43 at the NFL Com- bine, he was not drafted and then nearly bled to death when he cut himself on glass in an off-field accident. Doctors said he might not regain full function of his wounded arm. The Green Bay Packers picked him up in 2007 — and he became one of the NFL's premier backs from 2007-09, finishing with 956, 1,203 and 1,253 yards rushing. That's not including a 201-yard effort in a 2007 playoff victory. An ankle injury sidelined Grant during the 2010 Super Bowl run, but he rounded back into form last year, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in his last five games and scoring on an 80-yard screen pass. He is on the free agent market. 3. Daryle Lamonica, 1963, 12th round, No. 168 "The Mad Bomber" quarterback was 12-18 during his Notre Dame career under JUNE/JULY 2012 41

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