Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 145 Name (Years At Notre Dame) NFL Season Pos. Current Team Josh Adams (2015-17) 1st RB Philadelphia Eagles Signed as an undrafted free agent. Sheldon Day (2012-15) 3rd DL San Francisco 49ers Recorded 19 total tackles and two sacks in 2017 with the Jaguars and 49ers. Tyler Eifert (2009-12) 6th TE Cincinnati Bengals Played in just two games due to a back injury, and caught four passes for 46 yards. Matthias Farley (2011-15) 3rd DB Indianapolis Colts Had a breakout season with 98 tackles and two interceptions. Will Fuller (2013-15) 3rd WR Houston Texans Had 28 catches for 423 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games played. J.J. Jansen (2004-07) 11th LS Carolina Panthers Played in all 16 games for the ninth consecutive season. Jarron Jones (2012-16) 2nd OL New York Giants Signed with the Giants June 11 after spending most of last season on the practice squads of the Seahawks and Cowboys. TJ Jones (2010-13) 4th WR Detroit Lions Posted career highs in receptions (30) and receiving yards (399) while hauling in one touchdown in 14 games. DeShone Kizer (2014-16) 2nd QB Green Bay Packers Threw for 2,894 yards with 11 touchdowns and 22 interceptions during his rookie campaign with Cleveland. Traded to the Packers during the offseason. Ben Koyack (2011-14) 4th TE Jacksonville Jaguars Played in all 16 games, recording five catches for 38 yards. He added two more catches, including a TD, in the playoffs for the AFC South champions. Kapron Lewis-Moore (2008-12) 6th DE Jacksonville Jaguars Inked with the Jaguars on a futures contract after spending most of last season on Baltimore's practice squad. Cole Luke (2013-16) 2nd CB Carolina Panthers Spent last season on injured reserve. Nick Martin (2011-15) 3rd OL Houston Texans Started 14 games in 2017 before suffering an ankle injury late in the season. Zack Martin (2009-13) 5th OL Dallas Cowboys Started all 16 games at right guard and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year. Mike McGlinchey (2013-17) 1st OL San Francisco 49ers Selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Greer Martini (2014-17) 1st LB Green Bay Packers Signed as an undrafted free agent. Quenton Nelson (2014-17) 1st OL Indianapolis Colts Selected as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Troy Niklas (2011-13) 5th TE New England Patriots Caught 11 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown in 2017 for Arizona. Name (Years At Notre Dame) NFL Season Pos. Current Team Romeo Okwara (2012-15) 3rd DE New York Giants Played in just six games due to injury and recorded three tackles. James Onwualu (2013-16) 2nd LB Los Angeles Chargers Played nine games as a special teamer and registered eight tackles. C.J. Prosise (2012-15) 3rd RB Seattle Seahawks Compiled 110 total yards in five games while being slowed by injuries. Theo Riddick (2009-12) 6th RB Detroit Lions Rushed for 286 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries, and added 444 yards and two scores on 53 receptions. Isaac Rochell (2013-16) 2nd DT Los Angeles Chargers Recorded four total tackles and one sack in three games last season. Kyle Rudolph (2008-10) 8th TE Minnesota Vikings Hauled in 57 receptions for 532 yards and eight touchdowns. Added six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs for the NFC North champions. KeiVarae Russell (2012-15) 4th CB Cincinnati Bengals Made nine total tackles in eight games in his third season. Harrison Smith (2007-11) 7th S Minnesota Vikings Registered 78 stops and two interceptions while grading out as the best safety in the history of Pro Football Focus. In two playoff games, he totaled 13 stops with one sack. Jaylon Smith (2013-15) 3rd LB Dallas Cowboys After missing his rookie year, totaled 81 tackles and one sack in 16 games played. Durham Smythe (2013-17) 1st TE Miami Dolphins Selected No. 123 overall (fourth round) in the 2018 NFL Draft. Equanimeous St. Brown (2015-17) 1st WR Green Bay Packers Selected No. 207 overall (sixth round) in the 2018 NFL Draft. Ronnie Stanley (2012-15) 3rd OT Baltimore Ravens Started at left tackle in all 15 games he played in. John Sullivan (2003-07) 11th C Los Angeles Rams Graded out as the 10th-best center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus (74.6) while start - ing all 15 games he played in for the NFC West champions. He also started in the playoffs. Golden Tate (2007-09) 9th WR Detroit Lions Led the Lions with 92 receptions while amassing 1,003 yards and five touchdowns. Manti Te'o (2009-12) 6th LB New Orleans Saints Recorded 62 total tackles in 10 starts for the NFC South champions. He also started both playoff tilts and posted 15 stops with one sack. Andrew Trumbetti (2014-17) 1st LB Chicago Bears Signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephon Tuitt (2011-13) 5th DE Pittsburgh Steelers Had 25 tackles and three sacks in 12 starts, and added three stops in one playoff start. Sam Young (2006-09) 9th OT Miami Dolphins Saw action in 10 contests and made six starts in 2017. Irish Players On NFL Rosters As of June 12 1. Jaylon Smith Back On The Field Though it was a preseason game, Jaylon Smith couldn't have been more fired up to make a tackle Aug. 19 against the Indianapolis Colts. It was the second game of ac- tion for the former Irish star linebacker in 19 months and his first professional tackle. It was the next step in his journey back from the knee injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame fans certainly were ecstatic to see Smith do his famous "swipe" celebration, but it was a welcomed sight by many across the league as well. 2. James Onwualu and Isaac Rochell Make First Career Tackles Former Irish linebacker James Onwualu and defensive lineman Isaac Rochell wound up together in Los Angeles with the Chargers after spending four years together (2013-16) in South Bend. Rochell was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft, while Onwualu made the team as an undrafted free agent. In the first game of the year against the Denver Broncos (Sept. 11), both Rochell and Onwualu recorded their first NFL tackle, which is a highlight for any professional. Both players were not guarantees to make the Chargers' roster to begin the year, so it may have been an even more special moment for the duo to do it together. 3. Ben Koyack Comes Up Clutch After catching just five passes in the regular season, Koyack saved his most impor - tant one for the playoffs. Late in the third quarter of a 3-3 game against the Bills in the wild card round, Koyack caught a one-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to give the Jacksonville Jaguars a 10-3 lead, which wound up being the final score of the game. It was not an overly productive year by the former Irish tight end, but he came through when he was needed the most to give the Jaguars their first playoff win in a decade. 4. Matthias Farley's Late Interception In a 7-7 game during blizzard conditions, Indianapolis Colts safety Matthias Farley intercepted a Buffalo Bills' pass to put the Colts at Buffalo's 28-yard line with 1:01 remaining. Indianapolis went on to lose the game 13-7 in overtime after missing a field goal near the end of regulation. But for Farley, it was one of the highlights during a break - out year, which included 98 tackles. 5. Manti Te'o Finds A Home In New Orleans Manti Te'o battled through injuries during his first four years with the then-San Diego Chargers and hoped to reboot his career in the bayou. That he did. Playing a full season for the first time, Te'o recorded his second-best tackle number, totaling 62 stops for the New Orleans Saints. During the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, he tied for a game-high 10 tackles, including a sack, with the Saints giving up a touchdown on the game's final play to fall short of an NFC title game appearance. Though the Saints did not advance, it was a strong performance to end a solid first season with the Saints for the former Irish All-American. TOP FIVE MEMORABLE MOMENTS IRISH IN THE NFL