Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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return against the Cardi- nal put Notre Dame in position to score the first points of a closely con- tested game. The pick cemented his status as one of many defensive playmak- ers for the Irish and whisked away the last of the new car smell from the outside perception of the rookie's compe- tence. Farley's transition to football was com- plete — and just four years removed from not knowing how to buckle a chinstrap. Farley chose to play soccer growing up be- cause he wanted to carve a different path than older brothers Nathan and Kenan, who starred on the Charlotte Chris- tian High School team. After two frustrating soccer seasons, Chris- tian head coach Jason Estep convinced Farley to give football a shot. He looked uncomfort- able in pads that spring, and Estep expected him to walk away during the first week. "I don't know that I didn't love it at first or if I was just not liking the fact that I wasn't good at it," Farley said. That changed soon enough. On the first play of his junior sea- son — the first play of his football career — Farley caught a 60-yard touchdown pass. "All right, we might have something here," Estep remembers saying to an assistant coach. The newcomer continued to burn defenses that season and eventually worked his way into the game at cornerback and safety while his knowl- edge and technique be- gan to catch up with his raw talents. Footwork and bal- him to jump seamlessly into the Irish defense this fall. "Matthias was just a little bit different, but different in a great way," Estep said. Farley stands out ance learned on the soc- cer field helped make a smooth transition to football for Farley. He's in good company there. Notre Dame's most recent consensus All-American in the sec- ondary, Shane Walton, started his college career as a member of the Irish soccer team. Walton said soccer requires players to see a few steps into the future to set up plays. That ability to anticipate was a great tool for Wal- ton and the rest of the 2002 Irish secondary that intercepted 21 passes. Farley learned to switch gears smoothly, which he said helped among his football-play- ing brethren. His late ar- rival made it impossible for the sport to become his identity like it does for many young, talented players. He and the rest of his siblings dabbled in the music studio their father — a drummer and instrument manufacturer — built in the family ga- rage. He is quicker to brag about his skills on the kazoo than his bench press. He shows up to postgame interviews in a pressed white shirt and blazer instead of the typi- cal sweatsuit uniform. Farley grew up in an ar- tistic home — one with- out a television but fully equipped with parents who encouraged him to do whatever made him happy. "My dad always said if it's legal and you like it, do it," he said. For the seven eclectic and supremely success- ful Farley children, that philosophy has worked pretty well so far. ✦