Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Irish safety Chris Badger returns to action after two-year trip to Ecuador BY DAN MURPHY in early March after living in southern Ecua- dor for the better part of two years. He reunited with his family in Provo, Utah, devoured his first real steak in more than a year and soon after got to work. The thoughts in- side Badger's head were still mostly flowing in Spanish when he knocked out his first reps and dove back into the world of a college football player. Badger spent the spring of 2010 on t didn't take much time on American soil before Chris Badger was back in the gym. Notre Dame's newest addition to the defensive backfield returned home ally grateful for the opportunity I have to be here at Notre Dame and I really cherish it," Badger said when asked what was dif- ferent upon his return to campus. "I think the biggest thing I've learned is how to use my time wisely. Finding time throughout the day to get an extra hour of film study in, "I don't take things for granted. I'm re- Notre Dame's campus as one of four early enrollees on the Irish football team. In July, he left for South Amer- ica to work as a missionary like many Mormons do when they turn 19 years old. He spent 20 months helping oth- ers and trying to spread his beliefs while submerged in a new culture where the favorite football team of locals is FC Barcelona and few have ever seen an American football game. Now, he has to shake off two seasons of Badger said the most rewarding part of his two years in South America were the people he met along the way. PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS BADGER rust in hopes of contributing to an Irish secondary that is currently full of opportu- nities. Badger knows that his mission was a sacrifice on the football field as well as in several other ways, but he's hoping that the maturity and perspective he gained from the trip will propel him further in the long run. to be really disciplined and do your home- work every night, to wake up early and eat right. "Just the little things, that's how you make big progress and big changes in your life." Homework and extra film study are noth- AUGUST 2012 46 ing compared to the schedule Badger kept during his time in Ecuador. He was out of bed each morning by 6:30, often times an