Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS NFL Camps Feature Plenty Of Irish Movers And Shakers BY WES MORGAN their 2012 rosters to 53 men, Notre Dame alumni around the country are in good position to be with their respective squads when the regular season begins next month. Some vet- erans have yet to find new homes through free agency, while others are entrenched. Some former Fighting Irish stars are making more noise as rookies than others. Here's a look at some of the more W ith time running out for National Football League teams to whittle interesting news items from training camp. are glowing about first-round draft pick and former Irish safety Harri- son Smith, who has been running with the first team. Smith has taken every opportunity to learn from ex- perienced players and soak in all the advice they have to offer, but he has showed no fear. He has tussled with receiver Percy Harvin several times in training camp. "You want your safeties to be quar- Reports coming out of Minnesota ROOKIE SURPRISE Safety Harrison Smith, the Vikings' first-round draft pick in April, has been impressive during training camp and could begin the season as a starter. PHOTO COURTESY MINNESOTA VIKINGS terbacks and smart, but you want some nastiness to them too, and he has that," Vikings defensive coordi- nator Alan Williams told ESPN. mando Allen is still battling for a roster spot with the Chicago Bears. Starter Matt Forte and backup Mi- chael Bush are locks, but Chicago's looking for a third-string option that offers something different. Allen found himself in a competition with Kahlil Bell while camp was winding down. Allen's advantage is, at 5-8 and 199 pounds, he's more of a scat back, an obvious change of pace from Bush and Forte. "Armando has had a good camp, Second-year running back Ar- HOLDING ON but I can't say anything bad about anyone we have," running backs coach Tim Spencer told the Chicago Tribune. "We're not going to ask [Al- len] to get in there and pound it. But he's done the things that we need him to do. He's got good speed and 92 PRESEASON 2012 quickness. He's not a big guy, but he's tough." Allen is signed through 2013, with ton, who also recorded a pair of spe- cial teams stops against Seattle. a salary of just $390,000 this season. His most notable performance in 2011 was a 40-yard day (11 carries) in a 35-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Christmas. keeps finding ways to stick around in Denver. Most recently, he got his hands on two punts in a preseason game against Seattle Aug. 19. On the first, he executed the call of special teams coordinator Jeff Rodg- ers. The second was on an audible Bruton called after he was supposed to be blocking his guy for return pur- poses, but saw a soft spot. "And I was like, 'Let me go for a Fourth-year safety David Bruton SPECIAL EFFORT second one,' " Bruton told the Denver Post. punter Jon Ryan still managed a good end result when the topspin caused by the deflection carried the punt 52 yards. "I still can't believe that," said Bru- Despite Bruton's effort, Seahawks yard rushing seasons, former Notre Dame running back Ryan Grant isn't on an NFL roster for the first time in his career. After being cut by the Green Bay Packers, the free agent has vis- ited several teams but hasn't found the right fit. Grant, who has averaged 4.3 yards Despite boasting a pair of 1,200-plus- NO HOME YET per carry during his career, likely will sign after training camp begins. A running back injury may open an even greater need for him. "It's a tricky situation to be in, and what we don't want to do is jump at the first opportunity," Alan Her- man, Grant's New York-based agent, told NorthJersey.com. "We've had opportunities, but just didn't feel the situation was right. "Let's put it this way: I hope, and so does he, that as we move along here in the normal progression of training camp and the preseason, once you start playing the games, [injuries] seem to happen." ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED