Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/762987
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2017 21 ceiving touchdowns (32nd) and re- ceiving yards (38th). Associate head coach and wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock pre- sented St. Brown with the award. "The best is yet to come," Den- brock said. "I don't think you've seen this guy even scratch the surface." Onwualu, one of four team cap- tains for the Irish in 2016, started all 12 games and finished with 75 tack- les (38 solo), a team-high 11.5 tack- les for loss, three sacks, five passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He began his career as a wide receiver in 2013 and was one of the bright spots on a defense that struggled early in the season. On that same note, junior linebacker Greer Martini — who started four games but was a consistent performer when he got on the field — won the team's Next Man In award. He tallied 55 tackles (29 solo), seven tackles for loss, three sacks and one pass broken up. He was especially clutch against Notre Dame's option offense oppo- nents — Martini had 11 tackles (one for loss) against Navy and another nine tackles (two for loss) against Army. "For me it just shows that I was productive this year when I didn't have the lead role that I wanted," Martini said of the award. "I'll do whatever is best for this uni- versity and this football team. It just goes to show that even if you don't have the spotlight, it still gets recog- nized that I went out and made plays." Junior offensive tackle Alex Bars and junior linebacker Nyles Mor- gan won the Offensive and Defen- sive Newcomers of the Year, respec- tively. Bars started all 12 games at right tackle, while Morgan — who barely played on defense in 2015 — recorded a team-high 94 tackles, in- cluding six for loss and four sacks. In a bit of a surprise, fifth-year senior long snapper Scott Daly was named the Special Teams Player of the Year. He did not have an errant snap in his four years as a starter. Senior defensive lineman Isaac Ro- chell was named the Moose Krause Lineman of the Year. He started all 12 games and had 55 tackles, seven stops for a loss and a sack in 2016. Junior left guard Quenton Nelson was named Offensive Lineman of the Year. According to Pro Football Focus, Nelson did not allow a sack this sea- son and allowed just one quarterback hit in 2016 (on 456 pass attempts). Senior tight end Ben Suttman (of- fense) and freshman linebacker Jona- than Jones (defense) were named the Scout Team Players of the Year. With the horrid season behind them, Kizer said the Irish are now looking ahead to getting back on track. "We were 4-8 in 2016. I think that's the most exciting thing about 2017," Kizer said. "We've figured out what it takes to win. I think we've defi- nitely learned to appreciate all the things that go into winning, and we're going to do whatever it takes in the next six months to make sure that we do win next year." ✦ The 2016 Echoes Award winners included: (front row, left to right) linebacker Greer Martini, line- backer Nyles Morgan, tight end Ben Suttman, cornerback Cole Luke, linebacker Jonathan Jones, head coach Brian Kelly, long snapper Scott Daly, linebacker James Onwualu, safety Drue Tranquill, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and punter Tyler Newsome, plus (back row, left to right) defensive lineman Isaac Rochell, guard Mark Harrell, quarterback DeShone Kizer, tackle Alex Bars, guard Quenton Nelson and defensive lineman Jarron Jones. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND Award Winners Scout Team Player of the Year (Offense): Senior tight end Ben Suttman Scout Team Player of the Year (Defense): Freshman linebacker Jonathan Jones Newcomer of the Year (Offense): Senior right tackle Alex Bars Newcomer of the Year (Defense): Junior linebacker Nyles Morgan Special Teams Player of the Year: Fifth-year senior long snapper Scott Daly Offensive Lineman of the Year: Junior left guard Quenton Nelson Impact Plays of the Game: Fifth-year senior nose guard Jarron Jones Irish Around the Bend (community service): Junior punter Tyler Newsome Moose Krause Lineman of the Year: Senior defensive end Isaac Rochell Father Lange Iron Cross (best in the weight room): Fifth-year senior right guard Mark Harrell Pietrosante Award (given to player who best shows courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride): Senior cornerback Cole Luke Rockne Student-Athlete: Junior safety Drue Tranquill Offensive Player of the Year: Sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown Defensive Player of the Year: Senior linebacker James Onwualu Next Man In: Junior linebacker Greer Martini Most Valuable Player: Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer