Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/81334
EMERALD ISLE CLASSIC NOTES By Dan Murphy and Wes Morgan Irish Media Day The Aug. 30 media session with Notre Dame players and head coach Brian Kelly had more of a Super Bowl media day vibe than a normal day on the beat back in South Bend. A number of Irish television stations and newspapers sent representatives to the practice field outside Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. What did Dubliners want to know? One reporter asked senior left tackle Zack Martin if any of the players were single, and if so would they be searching for any local girls? A savvy Martin quickly declared his unavailability. He was then asked by another television station to “make a mean face” and yell into the camera. He obliged, although with obvious embarrassment. Another scribe asked what position senior tight end Tyler Eifert played and requested that he spell his name. Then there was one journalist who was overheard reading down the Notre Dame roster looking for Irish sounding names. He picked out freshman wide receiver Justin Ferguson, who was not made available. Senior defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore was asked to act out receiving a snap from the center. He respectfully declined, explaining that wasn’t his position. He also explained to a different reporter that he didn’t know what play Notre Dame would run first during Saturday’s game, and likely wouldn’t know it even after the offense ran it. When asked who his favorite NFL football player was, Navy senior Bo Snelson had to take a minute to collect his thought. “Wow, you sort of caught me off guard there,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that one.” Most folks in Ireland don’t understand American football, but they’re pretty excited about it being temporarily imported for the weekend, which includes high school games on Friday night at a number of area stadiums. A Visit From The Champs Among the many visitors to Notre Dame’s first practice in Ireland were several members of the Belfast Trojans, the champions of the Irish American Football League. The Trojans, who apologized to the Notre Dame team for their nickname, are one of a dozen clubs throughout the country that play a 10-game schedule each summer in the highest level of American football available on the Emerald Isle. The Trojans started the year as underdogs but ran the table in an undefeated season before upsetting the University of Limerick Vikings 16-14 in a dramatic championship game. Roughly 10 players from Belfast’s 50-man roster made the trip to Dublin this weekend to watch Notre Dame practice and to attend Saturday’s game. They brought their Waterford crystal Shamrock Bowl championship trophy with them, which was as impressive looking as college football’s championship trophy and insured for $40,000. Adrian Cassidy, 28, one of the team’s tight ends, said he attended a couple of the recent NFL games played in London, but was more excited to see the college game. “I think it’s got a bit more color to it,” he said. Cassidy said the chance to see college football in Ireland was a thrill for him, but the sport is still very much a niche market in the country. He said his interest piqued after playing football video games and searching for a place to give the real thing a try. He has played on the Belfast team since 2006 when the league started. The hardest part of breaking in new players is trying to explain the long list of rules that are foreign to rugby and soccer players. “The rules are a killer for some of the guys,” Cassidy said. “Some guys come down and they’re not that athletic but they know the rules. Others are on the flipside of that. There are pitfalls to both of them. “There are guys that have been playing for a couple of years and they’ll still turn and say, ‘Oh, you can’t do that?’ ” Missing Out Tired, jet-lagged and with a job to do, Notre Dame players appeared to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere after arriving in Dublin — something suspended players Tommy Rees, Carlo Calabrese, Justin Utupo and Cierre Wood missed out on back in South Bend, Ind. “Just everything college is kind of about — the experiences,” senior tight end Tyler Eifert said. “They would all love to be here. It really hurts them not to be. It’s just a chance that they’ll never get back. They were sorry and they learned their lesson before they got suspended, so they’re good.” After arriving at the hotel at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, a quick breakfast followed and then the buses came to whisk the team to Aviva Stadium. “That last two days have kind of meshed into one,” senior left tackle Martin said. “It was a little rough there on the plane; my knees locked up a little bit. I slept for about half the time. We’re lucky with a charter; most guys have their own section, so I could spread out a little bit. “Eifert and Braxston [Cave] were walking around the whole time. At 4 in the morning they were walking up and down the aisles. “I think we came out here focused. That was the biggest thing we were worried about. Are people going to be focused when they’re tired after a long two days? I think we got out here and were sharp.” Miscellaneous Notes • Unlike most college head coaches that opened the football season on Labor Day weekend, Irish boss Brian Kelly had to be concerned with jet lag. “We were hoping they slept,” Kelly said of his team’s nearly seven-hour flight. “We were up at 5 a.m. [Wednesday, Aug. 29]. We had really pushed our guys in terms of a morning practice; we brought them back to weight train. Then we obviously turned the lights out on the plane. By the looks of things today we probably got about 50 percent that slept. We’re hoping that tomorrow will go a little better. “Physically [we were a little easier on them Thursday, Aug. 30], not mentally. You’ve gotta be sharp every day. Physically we didn’t push the tempo today.” • After touching down in Dublin, the team spent about 90 minutes at the hotel before heading to practice. Kelly said the commute to downtown was enough to awaken the sleepy bunch. “The roads with the big buses — scary proposition,” he said. “The Garda [Irish police] was with us today as an escort and I hope all their insurance is paid up because that’s a group that likes to get going out there. It was fun coming in to the city. “Our kids are going to see some Irish dancing tonight. We’re staying out a hotel that is a beautiful venue, so they’re starting to see and sense a little bit of Ireland.” • Blustery conditions in Dublin provided Kelly with an opportunity to teach first-time starting quarterback Everett Golson and the rest of the quarterbacks. “When it’s windy conditions, a tight ball is rewarded,” Kelly explained. “If you throw a good ball you’re going to be okay. If your mechanics are bad and you’re trying to wing and drop down side arm the wind will play havoc with your football, but all the stops I’ve been I’ve had to deal with these kinds of conditions so we should be fine. “Mechanics have to be good. We had a little play action here and [Golson] was sloppy. His arm was down and the ball was on the ground. The next time [it was] good rotation, [and his] arm slot’s up. You’re trying to remind him about the conditions. You have to be on top of your game or the conditions can affect you.” • The game on Sept. 1 was more of a novelty for locals, but Kelly explained the significance of playing in Dublin to his players and area media. “It’s still an extension of a number of things,” he said. “Irish rugby is really the foundation of American football. We’re at a historic site at this stadium, and I made that known to our players today. “Secondly, I think it’s the Notre Dame brand being overseas and how popular we are and what a great relationship it is.” And what can a city of rugby and futbol fans expect? “You would hope, depending on which side you’re on, that there’s a lot of scoring,” Kelly added. “I think more than anything else, the game is tactically played — very similar to rugby. I think you’ll see a lot of physical play. It’s fast-paced; there’ s a lot of scoring, and I think you’re going to hear some collisions out there with all the equipment on.”