Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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field during its 31-17 victory at Notre Dame Oct. 22. He did not appear in USC's back- 2000, there was a popular perception that Notre Dame "does not accept transfers" in athletics. That statement was not fully accu- NOTRE DAME AND TRANSFERS From about 1950 to approximately rate, and not just because one of the greatest players in Notre Dame his- tory, College Football and Pro Foot- ball Hall of Fame member George Connor (1946-47), transferred from Holy Cross to Notre Dame after serv- ing in World War II. While there were some personal menderfer was at Northwestern in 2005 before transferring to Notre Dame in 2006 as a walk-on. Last year, current freshman of- but both transferred to Ohio State instead. Offensive lineman Thomas Be- fensive lineman Jordan Prestwood switched to Notre Dame after he was an early enrollee at Florida State in the spring of 2011, and now fresh- man running back Amir Carlisle is at Notre Dame after spending his fresh- man campaign at USC. Notre Dame's basketball program philosophies in the administration or on a coaching staff to not accept student-athlete transfers, it gradually eroded, just like not accepting bowl bids again until 1969, or redshirting football players beyond just medical reasons (mid-1980s). The reality also was that Notre has mostly thrived in the last de- cade with transfers Ryan Humphrey (Oklahoma), Dan Miller (Maryland), Dennis Latimore (Arizona), Ben Hansbrough (Mississippi State), Scott Martin (Purdue) and Garrick Sher- man (Michigan State), who will be eligible next season. Humphrey be- came an All-Big East selection, Miller was a vital cog in Notre Dame's most recent Sweet 16 campaign (2003), and Hansbrough was the Big East Player of the Year last season while help- ing the Irish earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame's top scorer in men's soccer last season was junior Ryan Finley, who played at Duke the two previous seasons. Notre Dame does accept transfers — as long as their academic stand- ing is compliant with the university's parameters. ✦ Backfield In Motion sideline him the entire 2011 season, Notre Dame had to scramble to find a couple of walk-ons to complement junior Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray at running back. This spring and fall the Irish backfield Dame was so powerful during the coaching tenures of Ara Parseghian (1964-74), Dan Devine (1975-80) and Lou Holtz (1986-96), it didn't need to bring in transfers — who often were seeking more playing time. The Irish usually had enough athletes where a transfer would just sit even more. Still, a few football transfers did should be overflowing with running back candidates for the present and future. For starters, there is Wood and his 1,102 yards rushing in 2011. Classmate Theo Riddick, who began his trickle into the program, including 1978-79 kicker Chuck Male (Western Michigan), 1980-82 fullback Larry Moriarty (Santa Barbara City Col- lege), 1983-84 tight end Ricky Gray (Clemson, via Holy Cross Junior Col- lege, which "Rudy" also attended) and 1987-89 flanker Pat Eilers (Yale). In Moriarty's case, he had family ties to the school and had spent time at home recovering from a serious injury. He later enjoyed a nine-year NFL career. From famed DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., Gray was re- cruited by Notre Dame and was a 1980 Freshman All-American at Clemson. He caught 13 passes for 159 yards as a backup to All-Amer- ican Mark Bavaro in 1984. Pat Ei- lers started on the 1988-89 teams that won a school-record 23 straight games, and he also played six years in the NFL. Under former Irish head coach Ty- career with former head coach Charlie Weis at running back before shifting to slot receiver under Brian Kelly in 2010-11, returned to the backfield late last season when the graduating Gray suffered a sea- son-ending knee injury. Freshmen George Atkinson III — who Last spring when freshman running back Cam Roberson tore his knee, an injury that would fer Amir Carlisle. This summer, incoming freshmen Will returned two kickoffs for scores last season — and Cam McDaniel also will be in the fray, and so might Roberson, if he's healthy. Joining the stable this spring is USC trans- Mahone and KeiVarae Russell enter the mix. "Eight Is Enough" was a popular sitcom tion turning into what you saw Theo Rid- dick do for us," Kelly explained. "He can line up as a wide receiver, be an effec- tive tool there — and the next play in the backfield. "So we're looking at two positions in one as it relates to those players … that player now has to in the 1970s, and it might be a theme at Notre Dame this year with eight running back candidates. However, Kelly notes that the Irish running backs will be in multiple roles as running backs/receivers. "We're looking at that running back posi- Senior Theo Riddick and others in the Irish back- field will be asked to play multiple roles as running backs/wide receivers. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND be looked at having the ability to do both of those things." The explosive Atkinson originally enrolled as a wideout recruit, and the 5-10, 180-pound Carlisle rone Willingham (2002-04), the Irish reportedly looked into landing line- backers Anthony Schlegel (Air Force) and John Kerr (Indiana University), www.BLUEANDGOLD.com also is capable of turning a bubble screen or five-yard hitch into a big gain. Meanwhile, incoming freshman Russell received some positive reviews for his work at receiver in practices for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl held the first week of January. The 2012 Notre Dame backfield should experience plenty of motion with its two-for-one deals. — Lou Somogyi MARCH 2012 65