I am thoroughly opposed to speaking about oneself in the third person. But the timing of my post and the recent South Bend Trib article on Recruits Sticking is just too good. And yes, my lucky timing makes me a genius.
So I thought I’d follow up and post some of the highlights from the recent interviews with class of ’08 recruits. Here’s a few snippets from the other Lebron James of HS Football, Dayne (not JC!) Crist.
“I’m not sure that I’ve run into someone who hasn’t given me a hard time about the Irish starting out 0-2. But I take it in stride. I tell them, ‘Wait, you’ll see.’ I’m supposed to talk to coach (Charlie) Weis tonight. And I really don’t have any questions for him. I can’t question him, because I have so much faith in him. And I know he’s such a talented coach, he’s going to find a way to win. I just can’t wait to get up there and be a part of it.”
That’s the greatest quote ever. Faith. Talent. A way to win. These guys understand what’s going on and how they can play a role. I love it. Some guys are surprised at the results so far this year, but they understand what’s going on and it certainly doesn’t shake their resolve.
“I thought there might be growing pains,” [Mike Golic Jr.], the 6-5, 265-pound offensive lineman from West Hartford, Conn., said. “I’ve been such a fan for such a long time, you don’t want to believe it, but I know they have the talent and the senior leaders there to put it all together.”
Some, like Williams, N.C., cornerback Robert Blanton, are in outright shock but still firmly committed. “I didn’t think they’d be dominating, based on who they were playing and how young they were, but I never thought about them losing,” said Blanton, his Butler High team (3-0) ranked No. 2 in the state.
Again, you have those guys who are just huge fans of the school (Golic Jr.) and just couldn’t ever consider any place else, and you have Robert Blanton, firmly committed because he gets what’s going on and sees the upside.
And linebacker commitment Darius Fleming and future Irish offensive lineman Lane Clelland are seeing the same thing, too.
“When I watch Notre Dame, I can’t wait to get there and do my best for them,” said Clelland, from Owings Mills, Md. “Not from a sympathy standpoint, but because I think we’re building something special.”
“This class, our class, is going to get a shot right away to help,” said Fleming, who plays for unbeaten Chicago St. Rita High. “You look at all the freshmen that coach Weis is playing now. That’s going to be us next year. We’re going to work our hardest and see what happens.”
The way these guys talk, they’re already signed. They’re already a part of Notre Dame, the school, the program and the Nation. Words like “we”, “us” and “our class” show how these guys are thinking about this. It’s not a ‘maybe I’ll verbal now and really decide later”. These guys are in.
As mentioned in the previous post, Charlie is using the youngness of the team, the future potential and the opportunity to play early to keep these guys on board and to bring the new guys in:
[Weis is simply] honest about the team’s problems and [trying] not to worry about spin control.
“I talk about the game, talk about what happened in the game,” Weis said. “I tell them, ‘Hey, what are you doing Saturday? Can you get your stuff and make the trip to Ann Arbor?’ I mean, look at it from their standpoint. They’re watching the game, too, and saying, ‘Hey I can play there.'”
And uber-recruit-tracker Tom Lemming says it’s working:
“Notre Dame is doing a great job of staying in touch and communicating, and that’s key,” Lemming said. “There’s always a guy or two who could jump ship in any season, but with Jimmy Clausen starting off well at quarterback, that’s a definite plus, especially considering with the guys who Notre Dame is still looking at.”
“I think most kids are smart enough to realize the junior and senior classes are perhaps the two worst in Notre Dame history. They were going to suffer with leadership. They were lucky they had some fifth-year seniors coming back. But having almost all of your talent in the lower two classes does not bode well when you start out with a schedule like Notre Dame’s.”
“One thing people have to realize is these kids, these recruits are not yet part of the team, so they don’t feel the malaise about the team now. They’re looking to the future, and the future is Jimmy Clausen.”
Post-script (that’s what PS means fools): I pretty much just copied and pasted that entire article in a new order. So much for genius.
Whatever. You enjoyed it.
Don't take me, yourself, or life so seriously. This is supposed to be fun.
Biscuit co-founded HerLoyalSons in partnership with his ND roommate (Dillon Hall baby!), MQ, in 2006 and has been ranting about ND Football and everything Notre Dame since. He strongly believes in the mission of ND and its football program. Biscuit expects logic and data in arguments and will absolutely crush you if you come to a debate missing one or the other. He despises everything Michigan, and his favorite pastime is mocking Purdue.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
This quote is hilarious:
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I think most kids are smart enough to realize the junior and senior classes are perhaps the two worst in Notre Dame history. They were going to suffer with leadership. They were lucky they had some fifth-year seniors coming back. But having almost all of your talent in the lower two classes does not bode well when you start out with a schedule like Notre Dame’s.