Stories about student-athletes being students aren't all that rare, especially insofar as Our Lady's University is concerned, but when they emanate from the Gug, you get just a touch more of the feels than usual. It is in that spirit, I commend to you the news that Corey Robinson, a wide-receiver who is rarely covered by the mainstream media, is running for Student Body President. In the Observer's report, Corey has managed to craft an academic schedule that will allow him to go "all-in" on ...
Luatua Bails
Sophomore Tight End Tyler Luatua has been granted his release from the University of Notre Dame according to sources. Whether this is a blow or a boon to the program is entirely in how you, the loyal reader, analyze the tea leaves. With his departure, the Irish have considerable depth at the position and one "extra" scholarship to play with as Signing Day looms around the corner. On the other hand, the program loses an experienced player with loads of talent. Who's to say he wouldn't have ...
Irish Compliance: Jensplaining the Rules
This morning, HerLoyalSons is privileged to turn the page over, as it were, to Jen Vining-Smith, who is Notre Dame's Associate Athletics Director, Compliance. With National Signing Day right around the corner, compliance issues abound and I thought it would be great for a guru like Jen to weigh in on two of the most often discussed: midyear enrollees and contacting recruits. I was honored that Jen agreed to take time out of her Netflix and chill busy schedule and pen the following: It's ...
Notre Dame and the NFL Draft
One metric of a program's success seems to be how well its players do on Draft Day(-s), that time of year when the former non-profit known as the National Football League selects the athletes who will fill its ranks until the next season. Last year, for example, Florida State had eleven players drafted. But does a team's record have any effect on its NFL draft success? For the Fighting Irish, the answer might be "maybe." As I dug into the data, and kudos to the NFL for its historical draft ...
Manti Scores
Celebrity gossip is something we don't really do here, but if ever there was an "oh my gosh did you know so-and-so was dating so-and-so" story that had to be covered, this is it: MANTI TE'O HAS A REAL GIRLFRIEND Apparently. According to sources. You all remember the catfish incident. Stop it. You do. You were fascinated by it. It was the bizarre cherry on the cake of disappointment that was the end of the 2012 season. Well, Manti's new girlfriend is real, and she's spectacular. Check ...
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: Turn and Face the Tricerapops
We here at HerLoyalSons are extraordinarily pleased to announce that none other than the Titan of Twitter, the Eazy E of Oenophilia himself, tricerapops, will be joining the staff as a regular contributor! Tricerapops is going to be delivering his casual brand of left coast observational humor and analysis of all things Irish as a member of our regular staff. When he's not writing or tweeting, Tricerapops is an active member of his local Alumni Association and chasing after his ...
Hoop, there it is! Irish Facing a Big Week
With the football season fully and finally behind him, a young man's thoughts turn to Kate Upton basketball. The Irish men's basketball team, with head coach Mike Brey (@NDMikeBrey) in his fifteenth year at the helm, is currently 10-5, coming off a rough loss to Pitt this past Saturday. Tonight, they face Georgia Tech at home and visit Coach Krabappel and the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. For Irish hoops fans, this season seems a bit of a letdown from last year's run to the ACC Championship. ...
Tigers and Tide Wait for no Irish
In the days after the Fiesta Bowl and the days before National Signing Day, it seems the perfect time to what-if a bit and reflect about how the Irish might have fared against 'bama or Clemson. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED. I mean, honestly. Do you really think we could have competed for more than two series against either team without Jerry Tillery and limited snaps from Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones? We'd have as much chance as Charlie Sheen has of making a good decision. It's way easier to ...
Leaving Early: Holding Players to a Higher Standard
This is one of those pieces you write after thinking too much about a topic. In the moments after Jaylon Smith's knee injury, speculation turned, a little sickeningly, to whether or not his injury meant he would "come back." Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, Jaylon was a lock to go in the first round of the NFL Draft. But, as a junior, to do so, he would have to "leave early." "Leaving early," when applied to the student-athlete, means "to leave without a degree." While plenty of Notre Dame ...
tROUBLE for tOSU? Elliott Cited, “Will Play”
Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State's star running back, was cited for three violations, to include driving on a suspended license, following a one puddle-, two car-accident Sunday. According to reports, one of the passengers in his vehicle, sustained "minor injuries." The three charges are all misdemeanors under Ohio law, again according to the reports. Ohio State has stated that Elliott will play in Friday's Fiesta Bowl. This is not the first Elliott-based distraction to the Buckeye locker room. ...