Brotherly Love Pushes Hughes to NFL Dream: Signs with Bears

It's not the fact that former Notre Dame running back Robert Hughes signed with his hometown Chicago Bears - that is just icing on the cake in comparison to what Hughes has been through in his young life thus far.

A touching remembrance of Robert Hughes' journey to college and now fulfilling his NFL dream is shared by the Chicago Sun-Times. Paraphrasing would do a disservice as the entire article is worth the read but, in essence, Hughes was motivated by his late brother, Earl "Tony" Hughes.

On October 31, 2007 Tony was fatally shot in the head outside of his home after answering the door. To this day the killer is still at large and Hughes family remains shaken. Determined as ever, Robert returned to practice the following day, though he was certainly not his usual chipper self.

Charlie Weis, head coach at the time, arranged for all of Hughes' teammates to travel with him and be by his side at his brother's funeral the Friday of that same week. People give Weis a hard time for being a 'jerk' and 'arrogant', but deep down he really is a compassionate and good man. Here is an excerpt from the article linked above:

Weis has been one of the most supportive members of the staff since the murder. He drove Hughes to Chicago Thursday night to talk with the player's family and offer consolation. He also jumped through NCAA hoops to get two buses to take any players that wanted to go to Tony's funeral there.

Tragedy aside, Hughes returned to play that weekend as Notre Dame took on the Naval Academy. He remarkably scored the game's first touchdown and proceed to give the ball to his family. His efforts to honor his brother would continue from that day throughout the rest of his career (he was only a freshman at the time) by pointing to the sky in remembrance of Tony after scoring plays.

You can see his emotional touchdown from the Navy game around the 0:30 mark in the video below that captures his career highlights under the dome.

Hughes came on strong towards the end of the season in games against Army, USC, and Miami. He reminded many of former Irish tailback Jerome Bettis as he bruised his way over and through helpless defenders.

His contributions at the Coliseum helped the Irish end an eight-game losing streak against arch-rival USC. Watch his efforts during the final drive to put the Irish on top for good.

This certainly is another in a long list of 'feel good' stories in sports. Congratulations to Robert and his family!

Sit Down For This One

I've dropped the ball on posting over the past week and shame on me with everything that has been going on in the sports world. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to briefly play catch up.

Notre Dame Assistant Football Coaches Named

New Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly has already begun hiring his half, which as many expected contains a few holdovers from his Cincinnati days and a smorgasbord of coaches with ties to Grand Valley State and Central Michigan. After several days coordinators have been selected to compliment the other hirings and retainment of Tony Alford, the lone mainstay from Charlie Weis' regime.

My take - all are excellent hires because they all have numerous years of collegiate experience with and without Kelly's tutelage. One of the problems with Weis' staffs was that they were a hodgepodge of, albeit talented individuals, whom he had little or no experience interacting with. Don't read too far in to anything you're hearing at this point, though. We need to be patient and see how the product on the field performs.

Weis Still A Chief... Per-se

Speaking of Charlie, it appears all is well in his world as several sources have confirmed he inked a deal to become the Offensive Coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs.

My take - this is an excellent fit for Weis and I am happy to see him move on in his career. No one ever doubted that he couldn't orchestrate a well-oiled offensive machine. His downfall at ND was that he had minimal head coaching experience (one year of high school football) so he forced himself to learn on the job. I think he also struggled with the fact that college kids aren't as disciplined as NFL players. Without time restrictions for practices and player development in the pros Weis benefitted from extremely well prepared players who knew every in and out of his beefy playbook. At ND he did not have that luxury. He will go on to do great things again. I'm not sure if Matt Cassel is a Super Bowl quarterback in the mold of a Tom Brady but he is capable of leading a team into the playoffs at the least. Good luck, Charlie.

Seahawks' Late Christmas: Carroll

In the span of 24 hours word spread like wildfire that the Seattle Seahawks were interested in USC Head Coach Pete Carroll. Fast forward a few more hours and it appears as though Carroll has signed a lucrative deal to replace now former Seahawks frontman Jim Mora.

My take - With the NCAA breathing down his neck regarding several suspected improprieties (Joe McKnight and Reggie Bush) and numerous player defections to the NFL (Damian Williams, Joe McKnight, Everson Griffin, Stafon Johnson) it is no surprise that Carroll is returning to the pros. Carroll was not shy about his desire to one day return to the NFL, which is the one league he has yet to prove himself as a head coach. A ho-hum 33-31 record is on the books from one season with the New York Jets and his brief stint in New England. Word on the street is that Carroll will have control of personnel decisions, which was a stipulation he indicated could lure him the NFL. The Seahawks have not been competitive since the 2007 season when they finished 10-6 and lost in the divisional playoffs to the Packers. Turning this franchise around will not be as taxing as Detroit but there is still a small mountain to climb. My magic eight ball reveals chances not good for a Super Bowl run at any point in the near future.

End of the Weis Age

It's official: Jack Swarbrick confirmed at a 5pm EST conference that Charlie Weis will not be retained as head coach of the Fighting Irish next season. Weis had six years left on his contract.

Here is an official release sent to alumni and students:

Nov. 30, 2009
For Immediate Release
Weis will not be retained as Notre Dame football coach

University of Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis will not be retained, University director of athletics Jack Swarbrick announced today (Nov. 30).

“We have great expectations for our football program, and we have not been able to meet those expectations,” Swarbrick said. “As an alumnus, Charlie understands those goals and expectations better than most, and he’s as disappointed as anyone that we have not achieved the desired results.”

Swarbrick recommended the dismissal Sunday night to Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

“We have established an evaluation process for all of our athletic programs that, in the end, results in a recommendation from Jack to me,” Father Jenkins said. “I accepted Jack’s decision and look forward to working with him on selecting a new head football coach who is the very best choice possible for the University and especially for our student-athletes.

“I am most appreciative to Coach Weis for his service to Notre Dame and our community. He and his family have my prayers and best wishes.”

Weis spent five seasons as Irish head coach from 2005-09, with his teams achieving consecutive records of 9-3 (Fiesta Bowl appearance) in ’05, 10-3 (Sugar Bowl appearance), 3-9, 7-6 (Hawai’i Bowl victory) and 6-6 in ’09 – for an overall 35-27 mark.

Swarbrick announced that Rob Ianello, the Irish assistant head coach/offense, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, will assume responsibility for football operations until a new coach is hired. Ianello has spent the past five seasons on the Notre Dame staff and previously was part of football staffs at Wisconsin (1990-93, 2003-04), Arizona (1994-2002) and Alabama (1987-89).

More thoughts to come on this later but I thought I'd join the rest of the free world in making the announcement.

Virginia Tech-Virginia Week and Notre Dame-Stanford

It's a big week for both programs as the Hokies take on their arch-rivals and Charlie Weis hopes to cling to his job as the Fighting Irish travel to battle a very solid Stanford team.

Brian and I both picked Stanford in that one and it certainly looks like the smart pick right now. We'll have to see just how much fight is left for the Irish.



Saturday, Tech will bid farewell to longtime friend of the program Al Groh who will likely be coaching his final game for the Wahoos. The Hokies should roll in front of mostly their own fans in Charlottesville, but anything can happen in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup.

It's going to be a great, busy week. I'll have quick picks up tomorrow.

Sometimes things don't always go as planned. I went 5-1 in my picks this week missing only on Stanford's drubbing of Southern California. Virginia Tech defeated Maryland as expected 36-9. On the other hand Notre Dame lost another tough one, this time to No. 9 Pittsburgh 27-22.

Golden Tate is an absolute menace, I'm not sure that you can really stop him. I don't know why Notre Dame doesn't run some hurry-up offense when they get in a rut though. It's much easier for Clausen to get in a rhythm that way. I've been suggesting that the Hokies do it all year with Tyrod Taylor who seems to be the same way.

I was most impressed with Dion Lewis of Pitt. That kid is special. He and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams are without a doubt the two best freshman backs in America.

A tough week for Charlie who appears to be in serious trouble now. Talk about a must win against UConn.

Word to the Weis: Win

As Justin alluded to I made a rather knee-jerk reaction after Saturday’s loss. Now that I’ve allowed my head of steam to dissipate I’m ready to attempt to tactfully express my feelings on what transpired. Here goes.

What I saw on Saturday didn’t mark a regression from what I’ve witnessed over the course of the previous eight games this season.

Over the span of games prior to Saturday’s debacle, Notre Dame showed itself capable of overcoming nearly any obstacle: several multiple possession deficits in the second half, 16 years without a home win against a rival, seven straight losses to a rival, countless missed chances to punch the ball in from inside the five yard-line, multiple possessions from the opposition inside the 10 yard-line (including two in a row), nine consecutive bowl losses, and probably a few more quirky statistics or intense game situations I’m forgetting.

What little momentum was gained by those achievements was squandered and left on the field last Saturday during Notre Dame’s 23-21 loss to Navy.

No, what I saw on Saturday was not a regression but rather the startling reality of an unfocused team.

This is not an admonition of things to come. Dating back to Weis’ first year at the helm of the Irish ship he clearly portrayed himself as commander of an often gritty but not always suited for battle team.

Let us examine a few case points by season:

2005 – an overtime home opener loss to MSU after manhandling Pitt in the season opener; a flat and uninspired performance against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl that led to another loss

2006 – embarrassing home loss to Michigan in a game that wasn’t close after the first five minutes of play; lackadaisical effort in the Coliseum against the Trojans in the regular season finale; another blowout bowl loss in the Sugar Bowl to LSU

2007 – failed attempt at converting personnel designed for a pro-style offense into an option attack that lead to a defeat against Georgia Tech; atrocious 38-0 shutout in Ann Arbor to Michigan; first loss against Navy in 43 consecutive attempts; loss to a second academy (Air Force) for the first time since the 1940s; zero wins in first five games of the season; 58 sacks surrendered over the entire season (a record for most at the time); another hapless effort (and shutout) versus arch-rival USC at home; worst record in school history at 3-9

2008 – blown leads at North Carolina, at Home against Pittsburgh and Syracuse (a team that won 2 games all year!); ineptitude again at USC (no first down until final play of third quarter)

There are probably many things I have left out of this list but forgive me as this was all from memory. For a more extensive list please visit this lovely piece from the fine gentlemen at NDNation (they’re always on top of their game).

My point is that the loss to Navy, while shocking, should not be too much of a surprise to the Irish faithful. With Charlie Weis as head coach there hasn’t been much ‘fight’ in the Fighting Irish.

The head coach is supposed to rally his troops and focus them on the task at hand. But Weis’ teams have been anything but focused.

To be sure, his men have challenged that stigma this year by winning three of 5 games in the closing minutes of battle.

But there remains an uneasy aura that Weis-led teams cannot get up for big games when it matters the most.

I have always liked Charlie Weis as a person and admired his willingness to transform his stubborn personality. After all, he has not hesitated to dismiss underperforming assistant coaches (see John Latina and Jappy Oliver) or alter part of his coaching philosophy (from no hitting in practices to demolition derby).

Make no mistake about it – his personality will not be the reason for his departure. His win-loss record will.

I’m not sure what the powers that be have in store for Weis but I know that a few more losses this season will only add to the case against keeping him on the payroll.

I hope he pulls himself up from last weekend, leads the Irish to victories in each of its final regular season games, and closes out the year with a Gator Bowl victory.

As Weis said at the start of the year, though, “don’t tell me about expectations, show me.”

It’s now or never for Weis. A win this weekend against Pittsburgh, which would qualify as Notre Dame's first against a top 10 opponent since Weis' first year win at then #3 Michigan, will almost certainly buy him one more season.

Losing is not an option. Time to make it happen.

More Notre Dame...I Know, I Know

Here's my take on the 2009 edition of the Fighting Irish football team. No one can accuse this reporter of being biased in favor of the Irish, but I do follow them fairly closely. I mean, it's impossible not to follow them seeing as every game is on television and ESPN has yet to put Lou Holtz out to pasture.

But without further ado, here we go.


Nevada @ Notre Dame

This one should be interesting. Nevada has a far superior running game returning two 1,000-yard rushers, one of whom is quarterback Colin Kaepernick. I think the passing games are pretty even but the Irish defense will be a blitz-happy unit under Jon Tenuta and should slow the Nevada attack. Home field helps too.

Nevada 21
Notre Dame 24


Notre Dame @ Michigan

Yes the spread will work in the Big Ten, but not this year. Rich Rodriguez needs another year to implement his scheme and get his personnel in place. It’s still a rivalry though, so anything can happen.

Notre Dame 35
Michigan 21


Michigan State @ Notre Dame

History only means so much. The string of Michigan State wins in South Bend is impressive but it doesn’t really mean anything. MSU doesn’t even know who their quarterback is yet. Despite that, I really like Mark Dantonio as a head coach and I think the Spartans are a team to watch this year in the Big Ten.

Michigan State 31
Notre Dame 28


Notre Dame @ Purdue

No more Joe Tiller as coach. No more Curtis Painter at quarterback; heck, Purdue wasn’t even good with both of them last season. This one could get ugly. On the bright side the Purdue faithful know how to party so no worries for the Boilermakers.

Notre Dame 42
Purdue 7


Washington @ Notre Dame

It was a bad year for the Huskies in 2008. The only real bright spot is Jake Locker who is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of. His injury last season derailed what promised to be an excellent season for the dual threat QB. I don’t think they have enough tools for him to win this one, but again…anything can happen.

Washington 24
Notre Dame 30


USC @ Notre Dame

It doesn’t matter who their quarterback is, USC is superior at every position and has talent to burn despite all the players they’ve sent to the NFL in recent years. The 2005 game Brain referenced was lightning in a bottle and even that didn’t quite work out. All the tradition, pomp and circumstance in the world can’t make your players better. If they wear the green jerseys they’ll probably lose by more.

USC 35
Notre Dame 17


Boston College @ Notre Dame

Boston College is in a real mess. Their only returning QB with any experience is gone and Mark Herzlich, the best defensive player in the ACC and arguably the best linebacker in the country is out for the season as he battles cancer. The only bright spot for the Eagles is that new head coach Frank Spaziani is one of the three best defensive coordinators in the country (The other two being Bud Foster of Virginia Tech and Tenuta). We’ll see how he does as a head coach.

Boston College 7
Notre Dame 35


Washington State @ Notre Dame (in San Antonio)

Boy, it’s tough times for football in the state of Washington. The Seahawks are the best bet for a winner this year as the Cougars join their chief rival Huskies in rebuilding a once proud program. I’m not very optimistic about their chances of improving on their two wins from last season either. This one should be another laugher.

Washington State 3
Notre Dame 42


Navy @ Notre Dame

Contrary to what Brian said, I don’t think Navy’s offense is gimmicky at all. It’s a highly complex system that requires extreme precision from all 11 players and timing is the most crucial component. No team possesses those skills like the Midshipmen. Losing Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (I only missed one letter the first time without looking!) certainly hurts, but there is no shortage of disciplined athletes in Navy’s system that can pick up where he left off. Look for Ricky Dobbs to take the snaps and run the offense. ND wins this one, but don’t be shocked if Navy pulls an upset.

Navy 21
Notre Dame 28


Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh

Pitt is an interesting team. I think they’ll probably win the Big East this year (which isn’t saying much) after losing to league champion Cincinnati by only seven points and losing just one other conference match against Rutgers last year. Bill Stull is a capable quarterback, and even without LeSean McCoy, Pitt could cause plenty of trouble in 2009.

Notre Dame 31
Pittsburgh 28


Connecticut @ Notre Dame

Unfortunately for the Huskies, they no longer have Donald Brown in the backfield. Brown is a terrific back who ran for over 2,000 yards last season and scored 18 touchdowns to boot. I just don’t see them being able to replace that kind of production, plus they’re on the road in this one.

Connecticut 17
Notre Dame 31


Notre Dame @ Stanford

Brian’s right, this is a very dangerous game for the Irish. Tavika Pritchard is a solid quarterback so if Andrew Luck is really good enough to keep him on the bench, Stanford should be in good shape. I also really like Toby Gerhart who had 1,136 yards rushing last season. Jim Harbaugh has done a nice job improving Stanford and I look for them to make a bowl game this season. It’ll be interesting however to see how the team that lost it’s last three games in 2008 when it needed one win for a bowl fares at the end in ’09.

Notre Dame 24
Stanford 28


So my overall prediction is Notre Dame finishing the regular season at 9-3. They may lose another one somewhere and pick up a win I don’t expect, but I think 9 wins is a fairly reasonable expectation for this bunch. All the national championship talk (Lou Holtz I’m looking in your direction) is pretty ambitious for a team that finally figured out how to win a bowl game just last year after a much-publicized postseason victory drought.

This season will be critical for the future of head coach Charlie Weis. He’s a terrific coordinator and a very smart offensive mind. I’m starting to think he’s in over his head as a head coach however. His 29-21 record (with 19 of those wins coming in his first two seasons) leaves a lot to be desired, a sort of one step forward two steps back kind of thing. I’ve also questioned some of his administrative moves, most importantly making the aforementioned Tenuta a co-defensive coordinator. The guy wasn’t even calling plays last season. That’s just mind boggling to me.

I of course being a Hokie am a big proponent of giving a coach plenty of time to get his system implemented and find the right blend of coaches. This is a talented team and a talented coaching staff but this season, right or wrong, will probably decide Weis’ immediate future as the head man in South Bend.

Weis Sings With Bon Jovi

Wanted dead or alive:

Weis On ESPN

Offered without comment:

The Earth Stopped Rotating And Myanmar Has Taken Over The United States

Well, no it didn't. It's about as accurate a statement as all of the "Weis is getting fired" talk that is being spread around the news outlets. None of it is true. Stop debating - you are making yourself look ignorant.

Honestly people, do you really think that the University has any motivation to fire Weis right now? They knew this would not be a 10-2 season, and whether or not that should be acceptable at Notre Dame is an entirely different subject. 

As it is, Charlie's recruiting classes are as follows (2005 is omitted because Charlie was with the New England Patriots during their Super Bowl run, although he did his part to keep the class in tact after Tyrone Willingham's departure):

• #8 Rivals, #5 Scout in 2006
• #8 Rivals, #11 Scout in 2007
• #2 Rivals (they haven't adjusted for the Alabama players that didn't enroll), #1 Scout in 2008
• #9 Rivals, #10 Scout so far for the 2009 campaign

So you say recruiting rankings don't matter? Well maybe you're right. I'll scratch the rankings from the argument if you're willing to concede that the talent level has significantly increased under the Weis regime compared to the talent brought in under his predecessor, Tyrone Willingham. In fact, many Irish faithful contend that Notre Dame has not seen the breadth of talent roaming campus since the days of Lou Holtz more than a decade ago.

If that isn't enough, consider that Charlie took his first two teams to BCS games (warranted or not, again - different story). In doing so, he took previously unpolished talent and put them in a system that catered to their strengths and minimized their weaknesses. 

Had anyone in the country heard of Jeff Samardzija before Charlie helped thrust him into the limelight? Didn't think so. Tyrone recruited him but never used him. 

Why hasn't Charlie done so with this year's talent or even last year for that matter? Look at the starting lineups those years compared to 2005 and 2006. The majority of starters this year and last were true sophomores and/or true freshmen with sparse upperclassmen as their supporting cast. 

The value of experience must not be underestimated. For example, it can take up to four or five years for an offensive lineman to truly develop into a dominant force. Unfortunately, Notre Dame has not had the luxury of play elder offensive linemen thanks in part to the (lack of) recruiting by Tyrone Willingham. 

On top of that, do you think ND would really want to pay the buyout of Weis' remaining 7 years on his contract (each year worth a reported $3-4MM including incentives)? Didn't think so. While ND certainly has the money available to do it simply will not happen. Not a chance.

Now I bet you are all wondering if I'm a Weis apologist or not. The answer is no. As contradictory as it may seem, I am a realist and an eternal Notre Dame optimist at the same time. 

At the halfway point of the season I predicted that the Irish would go 4-2 in its remaining games. While the outcome is still in jeopardy it is not out of the question yet. I don't care if you're one of those people who has already signed off USC as a loss - the fact of the matter is that Notre Dame and USC have not played yet this year and I have yet to hear the fat lady. Still care to question the outcome? Bring it up with Oregon State.

Bottom line: quit believing everything you're hearing from your "sources" and just watch the three remaining games this season. 

Grab some popcorn - I heard that Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees  are now best friends. 

Irish Capsize Sinking Washington Ship

Notre Dame took care of business on Saturday as the Irish dominated the Washington Huskies in all facets of the game, winning 33-7 for its first win away from home this season. 

Irish gunslinger Jimmy Clausen connected with standout true freshman WR Michael Floyd less than three minutes into the ball game for a 51-yard touchdown reception. Floyd, who recorded his third 100+ yard performance, showed off his speed and athletic ability as he evaded the Washington secondary en route to the endzone. 

Golden Tate scored a few minutes later on an end-around to extend the ND lead to 14-0 in the first quarter. "I think we let up once we had them 14-0," quipped Tate after the game. 

Two quick scores were more than enough support for a swarming Irish defense that created headaches for Washington QB Ronnie Fouch all game long. The Irish D finished with 4 sacks,  4 pass break-ups, and prevented the Husky offense from crossing the 50-yard line until late in the fourth quarter.

Harrison Smith finished with 2 sacks, totaling 21 yards, but provided even more of a spark on special teams. Late in the third quarter on a 4th and 13 from ND's 37 yard line, Smith took a direct snap and scampered 35 yards. The Associated Press had the following to say about the play:

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who exchanged a handshake and appeared cordial with Willingham on the field after the game, said he wanted to run that play late in the first half but the clock ran out on him. His team had practiced against a certain look he planned to exploit on Washington's punt-return unit. It was heavy on defenders outside, setting up for a return. That left Smith free and "excited," the linebacker said, in the middle.Asked if he thought about what the perception of such a play would be coming with a 24-point lead on an obviously overmatched opponent, Weis said: "No. It's the third quarter. ... It's not 50-0. I'm not that type of guy. ... We yanked guys at the start of the fourth quarter. Their only touchdown at the end was against guys who never play. No, that's not our deal."

Given the current landscape of the game, with teams racking up inordinate amounts of points in hopes of earning "style" points with voters, it is refreshing to hear Coach Weis openly admit his opposition to such tactics.

The Husky offense never get off the ground, amassing a measly 124 yards and earning only 9 first downs. Moreover, the only Husky points were scored when the game had already been decided and Notre Dame had removed its first-teamers.

On the other side of the ball, the Husky defense was trampled over by Notre Dame's running attack all night long. James Aldridge scored a career-high 2 TDs on 13 carries 84 yards rushing, Armando Allen added 62 yards on 15 carries,  and Robert Hughes added 19 yards on 4 carries.

True freshman RB Jonas Gray received his first game action on the offensive side of the ball (he has appeared on special teams in several games) and gained 61 yards on 9 carries.

Irish kicker Brandon Walker booted two field goals, a welcome surprise from his performance leading up to the game. Walker's improvement, however, didn't stop Coach Weis from testing out walk-on David Ruffer, the newest addition to the Irish roster. Ruffer misfired on an extra point attempt in his only game action.

Overall, this was the perfect game for Notre Dame to have scheduled coming off of a bye week. Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham looked stoic throughout the game as he watched what was likely one of his last few games as a Husky employee. For a very thorough take on Willingham's coaching abilities, take a look at this gem from the fine folks at NDNation.

Next up for the Irish: Pittsburgh on November 1 at 2:30 EST on NBC.

ESPN + College Football Live = Garbage

Over the years I have become less and less of an ESPN fan. They have shelled out numerous stories with many factual inaccuracies and biases and it's disappointing and contradictory that they claim to be the worldwide leader in sports.

Their latest transgression occurred recently on the show College Football Live. On the ticker they show on the left-hand side of the screen they show various teams and their upcoming schedules for the season. At the bottom of the visual they include a little information about the team and/or coach and then list key returners and key losses. For Notre Dame, they list key losses as Tom Zbikowski and Maurice Crum.

Apparently Charlie Weis and co. were so upset over the loss of Crum that they decided to insert him at the starting inside linebacker position. Or maybe, just maybe, ESPN is incapable of typing Maurice Crum into Google. 

Maurice was a senior last year, so maybe that confused them. However, he applied for and was granted a 5th year with the Fighting Irish. This information is readily available on the internet at the official athletic website. It can be found in the section entitled roster. It can also be found here about halfway down the page.

It's amazing how the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports can't fact check or do any research to corroborate their statements. Scratch that. It's sad. Very sad. 

ND Secondary Takes A Hit, WR Too

In a statement released by the University of Notre Dame this afternoon it was announced that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football team will be without two of its players next season: Junior CB Darrin Walls and redshirt senior D.J. Hord. 

Both losses hurt the team, though the loss of Walls is particularly hard to swallow. Walls had a tremendous spring and has NFL potential. While his departure is unfortunate there are a few positives: The secondary is perhaps the most talented unit for the Irish with Terrail Lambert, Raeshon McNeil, Gary Gray leading the way and freshmen Robert Blanton and Jamoris Slaughter adding quality depth. Some of the younger players will be given a chance to earn playing time, too. Walls has two years of eligibility remaining.

Hord will be transfering to a D-1AA school TBD. Injuries have plagued the career of this former 4-star recruit.

Here's what Weis had to say:

“We won’t have Darrin with us this season but I hope to have him return for the spring semester. Fortunately, cornerback is a position of strength on our team and this will provide opportunities for increased playing time for our corners.”

“I'd like to thank D.J. for all he has given to this team in his three years and wish him well in his future endeavors."