Notre Dame Football (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. ~Jackie Robinson

Byron Spruell had aspirations of becoming an engineer since he was in the sixth grade, when his teacher told him that his math and science talents would serve him well in the engineering field. When he reached high school and not only excelled academically, but also athletically on the football field and basketball court, Byron received the opportunity to attend the University of Notre Dame on a football scholarship. Recruited by head coach Gerry Faust and ultimately finishing his collegiate career playing for head coach Lou Holtz, Byron experienced what it was like to play college football under two very different personalities. Now Byron is a vice-chairman of Deloitte LLP, managing principal of the organization’s Central region, as well as managing principal of Deloitte’s Chicago office. Spruell helps drive Deloitte’s national strategy for client and business growth, as well as the firm’s strategic positioning in local markets across 17 states in the Central region. Byron and his wife Sedra have two children: Devyn and Aleah.

Q: Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, how did you end up playing football at Notre Dame?

A: “I was the product of two excellent role models. My mother was a seamstress/tailor and my dad was an engineer at the sewer district. They wanted my siblings and I to do our absolute best in everything we did. At the culmination of my high school career I was co-valedictorian of my high school class, and I had several opportunities to play football and basketball at Division I schools. The key criteria for what I wanted to get out of college helped me narrow down my choices to end up selecting the University of Notre Dame. What I was looking for was a school that was not only serious about academics, but also had a great athletics program. I also wanted a school that was close enough to home that my family could come see me play. Notre Dame passed all of my requirements with flying colors.”

“My parents ended up being able to come see me play for the majority of the home games through my senior year, and then for my fifth year of eligibility they were able to see every home and away game. It’s one thing to be good on the field, or off the field, but Notre Dame helped me excel in both of these areas and that was exactly what I wanted and aspired to achieve.”

“The other schools that I looked at besides Notre Dame were Vanderbilt, West Virginia, and Ohio State (particularly considering that I grew up in the Buckeye State). I knew once I got on campus for my visit at Notre Dame that it was a great fit for me. The style of teaching and learning in the classroom, the people walking around, I immediately felt welcome. My host during my visit to Notre Dame was Allen Pinkett. He was one year ahead of me and was in the school of engineering, so I’m sure they matched me up with him so that I could have the chance to meet another football player in a path that I wanted to pursue. By the time I got to ND the next year though, Allen had decided that trying to study engineering and play football was too rigorous of a schedule for him and he had transferred into the school of business. (The engineering school was aptly nicknamed ‘pre-business’ and they often times told freshman, ‘look left and look right…one of you will be gone at the end of your freshman year.’) When I was a senior at ND they paired me up with a visiting Rod West, who was very focused on academics and mildly interested in studying engineering at Notre Dame. After shadowing with me he made a comment that his head would explode if he had to take the engineering classes that I was in and it confirmed his choice to go straight to the business school!”

“I would have to say though, that one of the main reasons that I chose Notre Dame was because of how well they combined academics with athletics. My sixth grade teacher told me I was good at math and science and that I should become an engineer. I wanted to be a design engineer for one of the big three U.S.-based auto companies and that’s why I chose to study mechanical engineering, but as I neared graduation they were not doing so well. I had the chance to extend my studies and begin work on my MBA during my fifth year at ND which was also special because it was Tim Brown’s Heisman year. When I wasn’t drafted in the NFL after that year, I decided to remain at ND and finish my MBA. The year I finished my MBA, Notre Dame won the national championship. It was fun and rewarding to be on campus and witness the team’s success. Coach Holtz gave me and my fellow co-captain Chuck Lanza national championship rings because we had done so much to get the team to that point.  I cherish that ring and my relationship with Coach Holtz as he is a mentor to this day (a ‘Coach for Life’ as he would say).”

Q: What is your best Notre Dame football memory?

A: “The game against USC in 1986 sticks out in my mind. Out in Los Angeles, the whole environment, the Coliseum, the Trojan horse, down by 22 points…we rallied together as a team that day to pull out the win. It was Coach Holtz’s first year at Notre Dame. We lost five games that year by a total of six points. It was crazy how close we were but just couldn’t pull out the wins. It was the final game of the season and we were down 37-15 at halftime.”

“Sure, we were down 22 points out in Los Angeles, but we rallied under Coach Holtz’s leadership and came back to win the game on a last-second field goal by John Carney. We had started to build some real camaraderie that season and that win over USC gave us great momentum to carry us into the next year. On the flight back, Chuck Lanza and I got the indication that we would be co-captains next year. To have that type of victory in a hostile house environment and then to know the team felt that I was a leader moving forward is something I will never forget.”

Q: What was it like playing for Coach Faust? Coach Holtz?

1987 Fighting Irish Captain Byron Spruell

A: “Coach Faust really delegated a lot to his assistant coaches as compared to Coach Holtz who leveraged his coaching staff but still had command of every single detail. Holtz used his coaches but was completely involved. Coach Faust appeared to be more of a figurehead and was not so much in full command.”

“As a result, Coach Holtz really spent a lot of time, not only with his coaches but with his players, too. He helped us grow and develop into men (and this carried off the football field as well). I still remember going into his office for career advice as I was deciding between several employment offers.  He advised me to focus on “What’s Important Now” (WIN) and to secure a good foundation with a company that cared about my continued growth and development, a place that promoted excellence with people I could trust.  Those words have always been in my mind throughout my career and the organizations I have been associated with.”

“Coach Holtz made sure you understood three things. One, that he cared about his players. Two, that he made sure you were ready for what you were going to face on the football field. Three, that he was your coach for life, and made sure you were ready for your future both on and off of the field. He prepared you with the details that would make you a good football player, but also prepared you to be a good man in the business world or wherever life would take you.”

“Again, one of the most important factors that led me to choose to attend Notre Dame was how well they combined academics and athletics — Coach Holtz was a big part of why this worked so well. He prepared you for the details that would make you a good football player, but this same attention to detail was also what was going to make you a good man and successful at whatever you pursued after football.”

Q: What was it like being a student-athlete at Notre Dame? How did being a student-athlete at Notre Dame prepare you for life after college?

A: “For the most part it was all about balance, work ethic, and discipline. I like to be busy anyways but you need to cut through the clutter and be organized to succeed at a place like Notre Dame as a student-athlete. I really liked the environment at Notre Dame. It was a good fit for me. At Notre Dame you are truly a student-athlete. There are no athletics dorms. You are a student first and an athlete second — you carry yourself that way. You are given certain opportunities but you are not separated and you are not made to feel special or privileged compared to your fellow students. With the exception of Wednesday training table and game day (when we had steak), we ate dining hall food just like everybody else (only a few hours later).”

“Class, film, study, practice, training table, and then you go back to your dorm and study some more. You are tired and don’t feel like studying, but you still have to get it done. I definitely spent some late nights with David Letterman on in the background while getting my work done. It took hard work and discipline to play football and get my engineering degree and my MBA from Notre Dame.”

“My wife lived in Badin. I met her at an SYR (“Screw Your Roommate”) dance freshman year (that was our first date). We dated all four years, studied together as undergraduate engineering students, and got engaged between our fifth year and the final year of graduate school. She got her graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering and I got my MBA.”

“The engineering department was a challenging place to be — it definitely was not a place for the faint of heart! I had some adversity athletically as well, suffering some injuries at Notre Dame. I had hoped to work in the NFL and pursue some business opportunities during the offseason, but the knee injuries that I suffered as a student-athlete came back to haunt me, and the NFL didn’t think I was good enough or hungry enough. Even though this was a disappointment, I was okay with it. It allowed me to go back and get my MBA. It was a wonderful experience playing football at ND and I would have loved to continue that path, but at the end of the day the NFL is a business and you learn that fact very quickly. I would not change a thing.”

“From a diversity perspective, the environment at Notre Dame was very similar to my high school experience so I was not shocked when I got to ND. I didn’t have any situations that were negative as a student-athlete and the situations that I did encounter got me ready for the business world in terms of connecting with people from all walks of life and it was a very positive experience.”

“When you come out of Notre Dame you are prepared for the next chapter. In my case, I had a great football experience (and was molded by a great coach), two degrees that I could build a career upon (and be branded as a “Double Domer”), and a bonus of meeting a wonderful young woman with whom I could build a life and future family.  I definitely look back and appreciate all of the opportunity that the ND experience afforded me.”

Q: Where did life take you after football?

Byron Spruell, Deloitte LLP

A: “True to form as a coachable and approachable person given my athletics background and ability to connect, I always sought out advice. I spoke with Coach Holtz and he wanted me seek out a company where I could trust the people, love what I do, and they were committed to excellence.  I talked to one of my professors, Clay Smith, and he told me that I probably wanted to start out in consulting and special services and get exposed to a lot of different things. Then, after that experience, I could move back into the corporate world if I saw fit. I simply wanted to use both my engineering skills and my MBA skills that I had attained. With all of this input, I looked at a number of corporate and consulting opportunities and decided on taking a job with Peterson Consulting, which was founded by Alan Peterson who came out of the old Andersen firm and started this business that focused on consulting and litigation support. They were headquartered in Chicago and they had an office in Houston which was great for me since my wife got a job at Rockwell on site at NASA. At Peterson, I definitely got the opportunity to use both sets of skills (engineering and MBA/financial skills), and I also got to work with attorneys to use the dispute skills that I learned in my business law class.”

“For the first seven years of my career I did bankruptcy work, construction claims, and environmental claims which was a great proving ground and exposed me to client service and what I do today. Then I made the move to Deloitte & Touche. I was on the road a lot during my time with Peterson Consulting and my wife and I were ready to start a family. The move to Deloitte allowed me to stay at home more. It got me into a new practice that had an entrepreneurial spirit like Peterson had, but with the support of a big company and brand behind me. It was also in Houston and I focused on the oil and gas industry and business insurance claims consulting.”

“In 2004 I moved to the Deloitte office in Chicago to focus on broader financial advisory services, and then in 2007 I moved to the New York Deloitte office and served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. CEO and current global CEO Barry Salzberg. I was involved in operations, communications, strategy, global, regulatory/policy, talent, and clients/market matters. I spent a great deal of time shadowing Salzberg, and foreshadowing him as well. You need to always try and be a couple steps ahead of him in order to avoid any surprises. Like Holtz, Barry had a huge impact on me as a person and helped shape my professional career. In 2011 I became Global Managing Director of Financial Advisory and now I am back in the Chicago office as the Central Region and Chicago Managing Principal.”

“One of the most important things that I have learned along my career journey is to always be coachable. Never feel as though you know everything or that you can do this alone. Be prepared for new opportunities and be flexible and adaptable. Notre Dame really teaches you how to learn — this is also the culture at Deloitte. We pride ourselves in growing leaders and also have a great connection to Notre Dame and the Mendoza School of Business.”

Q: What advice would you give current student-athletes?

A: “I currently sit on the monogram club board and one of our jobs is to be a liaison between the current student-athletes and former student-athletes through mentoring and providing advice about the professional and business world. The biggest thing, particularly for ND student athletes, is to stay focused, perform, and be coachable. Know that Notre Dame is a special brand that people really do respect. IF you come through a place like Notre Dame and do well both academically and athletically, you will have a great value in the marketplace. Use that to your advantage.”

Q: Can you talk about your involvement with the Jackie Robinson Foundation?

A: “One of the things I most enjoy is giving back to the community. I love to give back and invest in people. My passions are diversity and education. We do a fair amount of mentoring for Jackie Robinson scholars. I give my time, talent, and treasure because it is about mentoring and developing, growing them into young men and women and giving them opportunities to go to college that they might not otherwise have. I keep a fair amount of relationships going to provide advice and counsel to give them perspective on what they are going through. I look forward to continuing to work with them. They have a lot of credibility in the market with the successes they’ve achieved.”

I’d like to thank Byron Spruell for graciously taking some time out of his busy schedule to stop by the blog. We all greatly appreciate it! Stay tuned for many more great stories in the “Where are they now?” series! If you enjoy this series, you can also read more stories in my new book, “Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became” now available for purchase.

Cheers & Go Irish!

The post Where Are They Now? Byron Spruell appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver T.J. Jones. (Photo: Brian Spurlock /US PRESSWIRE)

When your father is a Notre Dame legend, played on the ’88 championship team, and went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers; your path goes one of two ways. You follow in your father’s footsteps and join the tradition and family that is Notre Dame, or you run screaming and chart your own path. TJ Jones decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and play football at his dad’s alma mater, and four years later it is going to be very difficult for the Irish faithful to say goodbye to this staple of the ND offense.

With the resume that TJ Jones built in high school, he could have played Division I football anywhere he wanted but he chose to become a Notre Dame legacy and play football for the Fighting Irish. Some of his high school accolades included being selected as SuperPrep All-American and 13th-best wide receiver nationally, named MaxPreps.com second-team All-American as senior in 2009 and finishing  with 76 receptions for 1,399 yards and 18 touchdowns as senior at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Ga.

TJ’s time at Notre Dame has been equally as impressive. As a freshman (2010) he saw action in 12 games, missing the Utah game due to an injury, and making his Irish debut against the Purdue Boilermakers. He was a starter in seven games including Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, Navy, Tulsa and Miami (Fla.). He completed 23 receptions for 306 yards and three touchdowns. He was the first freshman wideout in Notre Dame history to register a touchdown in the Irish season opener and totaled 530 snaps on offense, the second most of any Irish wide receiver.

During his sophomore season (2011) Jones played in every game, starting 12 games (the only game he did not start was vs. Air Force) and set personal season highs in receptions (38) and yards (366). He caught a pass in every game and eight times during the season had three or more catches in a game. A few notable moments for TJ included a 15-yard TD pass at the Big House to give the Irish a 24-7 lead over Michigan in the third quarter, a 26-yard reception in the third quarter vs. Michigan State which helped extend the Notre Dame lead to 28-10 over Sparty and a touchdown scored on an 11-yard pass from Tommy Rees on the road at Purdue in the third quarter, giving Notre Dame a 28-3 lead over the Boilermakers.

In 2012 Jones appeared in all 13 games, starting in 11. He caught 50 passes for 649 yards, scoring four touchdowns and  tied for team-high honors in receptions and receiving touchdowns (both with Tyler Eifert). With double the yards he had the previous season, Jones had some pretty impressive games in 2012. He had six games in which he had receptions for 50-plus yards which included four catches and 59 yards against Michigan State, four receptions against Stanford for 52 yards, five catches for 55 yards at Oklahoma, five receptions for 53 yards against Pittsburgh, six catches for a career-high 97 yards and scored a touchdown against Wake Forest, and rounded out his junior season with a  career high seven receptions for 90 yards vs. Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.

This season (2013) TJ continues to shine, surpassing his numbers from last year with two games to go in the season. So far Jones has 54 receptions for 891 yards averaging 16.5 yards per catch. His longest reception is 80 yards and he has 8 touchdowns. His 2013 season-to-date looks as follows:

But this is what I really want to say … Thank you, TJ.

As a thank you to TJ, I’d like to pass along to him some stories about his father, Andre. Some of Dre’s teammates wanted to share with TJ some of their favorite memories of his dad to help him celebrate his Senior Day at Notre Dame. God bless you TJ and enjoy!

Notre Dame Wide Receiver, Alvin Miller

“The summer before his freshman year ‘Dre was in summer school, and we were hanging out in the hallway of the summer school dorm . I shot a bottle rocket in someone’s room under the door. Dre And I could not run away down the hallway because we were laughing so hard.  Crazy times.”

Notre Dame Offensive Lineman, Byron Spruell

“From the first day I met Andre (as I was an upperclassmen when he arrived as a freshman), I could tell that he could make a difference on our team. He was clearly a top athlete who could make plays but I also saw his leadership abilities and will to win. He always had a big smile on his face and a bounce to his step. I loved his enthusiasm and the way he would say, ‘Let’s go Spru’!”

Notre Dame Tight End, Derek Brown

“One of my favorite Dre stories was during my freshman year, Dre was my ‘big brother’ and he would always visit my roommate, Troy Ridgley, and I in Flanner Hall. I think he had a class nearby. Well, this one visit last a few days, if not over a week or so. Troy and I had a 2 man dorm and Dre would sleep on the floor in the middle of the beds and of course keep us up laughing our asses off with jokes and his impression of Coach Holtz. He had Coach Holtz’s voice down cold. ‘Hell’s fire son you have to have a base when you’re blocking and a low pad level.’ Wow, I also remember he would always wear a Notre Dame sweatshirt, his fake ‘Louis Vuitton’ hat, our standard black Adidas turf shoes, a backpack and a big umbrella. I miss that dude.”

“The day he died, he was supposed to have a business meeting with a high school friend of mine that next morning in Atlanta.”

“Love you Bro!!!”

Notre Dame Safety, Pat Terrell

“I will never forget our pregame meditation relaxation sessions in which Coach Holtz would make us visualize great plays. While lying on our backs he would walk through the players speaking about the game to come. If you found yourself next to Andre, you could hear him doing a perfect impression of Holtz but putting his own dialog in. I will leave the content out but it would be so funny that I would almost bust a gut trying not to explode in laughter. I still laugh out loud every time I think about it. Miss ya ‘Dre………”

Notre Dame Quarterback, Tony Rice

“We were at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse when TJ was a freshman and we were sitting in a back room they had reserved for us. It was Dean Brown, Pat Terrell, Rod West, Andre, TJ and I. We were just sitting around telling stories, and you know how we ’embellish’ our stories compared to what really happened. At one point ‘Dre was telling a story and imitating Coach Holtz. TJ was sitting there watching everyone and listening to the stories, soaking in every bit of the stories. I watched him and I took that as a sign that he was raised the right way. Some kids come to college and think they know everything, but TJ genuinely sat there, interested, and listened to his elders. It was like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (laughs). Boy, we thought we had it bad, but when you look back at guys like Johnny Lujack they had it worse! They had lights out at 10 pm.”

“I can never be like Andre as far as telling stories goes. He was a great player, and is very much missed.”

“This Saturday another number 7 will run out onto the field at Notre Dame stadium for the last time.”

“Two Jones wearing number 7. I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it.”

“Not too many kids can say both they and their dad played at Notre Dame and wore the same number.”

Miss ya, ‘Dre.

Notre Dame Running Back, Ricky Watters

My story of Andre Jones starts before we ever stepped foot on the Notre Dame campus. We met at the Big 33 All Star Game between the best from Pennsylvania against the best from Maryland. Andre was on the Maryland team and I was on the Pennsylvania team. Well long story short, they beat us in that game and Andre was the MVP. He was all over the field. Clearly the best player I had faced up to that point. Because we had so much respect for each other and the fact that we were going to the same University, we hit it off right away. He was one of those guys who could always make me smile no matter how I was feeling. One of the funniest people I had ever met. We even roomed together in college along with Todd Light and we have been adjoined at the hip ever since. We were forming a Sports Management Agency before his untimely death. And it is great to see TJ wearing that jersey and playing so well. I know ‘Dre is up in Heaven smiling down on him.

 Notre Dame Tight End, Oscar McBride

“My favorite Andre Jones Story – On one of the first days of school my freshman year we were all sitting in the north dining hall towards the middle by the drinks (Me, Aaron Taylor, Lake Dawson, Clint Johnson, Brian Hamilton & others if I remember correctly). We usually sat as a group since at that point we didn’t really know anyone else and started to eat our lunch.”

“Out of nowhere (and I mean nowhere) Andre swoops in and begins… quickly… to take a sip out of and slam all of our glasses of juice making sure to lick the entire rim of the glass; while imitating then outside linebacker Coach Jay Hayes (who now coaches for the Cincinnati Bengals) ‘You Gotta have big leathers to play special teams…. big leathers.'”

“In honesty I think we didn’t react because of the immediate shock value of the action. I mean… who drinks someone else’s juice anyway? Good grief!”

“Then… just as quickly as he appeared to snipe our lunch and soil our accoutrements he disappeared leaving us disgusted and pissed… ‘Dammit ‘Dre!’ we yelled as he laughed and bounced out of the dining hall.”

“From that day forward everyone had to keep their heads on a swivel for the ‘Drink Bandit’ who would swoop in and take a sip from you glass and quickly dart out.”

“That was one of the many sides to ‘Dre that made him special to me. His humor and light-heartedness made things that would otherwise be intolerable easier to deal with; especially life on and off the field. Although a jokester he always had time to share an encouraging word to a freshman who was injured and bummed that he wasn’t playing. For that, I will be eternally grateful.”

“Thanks ‘Dre… love you man.”

 Notre Dame Lacrosse player, Tony Suber

“To limit my favorite moments to only two, does absolutely no justice to the very large personality, always prepared to mentor, and equally prepared to prank friend and confidant that we all knew and loved, Andre Jones.”

“I first met Andre on the sidelines of a Blue & Gold game in the spring of 2002. I found out that weekend that our timely intersection was unmistakable, and for me life altering. In the span of 60 seconds I discovered that Andre was campus big brother to my cousin Ray Zellars… Once played for my native city NFL favorites, the Pittsburgh Steelers… and had made his home with his family, in the Metro Atlanta area where I made my home after graduating from Notre Dame.”

“Weeks later I had the opportunity to visit Andre at his home. I met his wonderful wife Michelle, and later the kids when they got home from school. As I was sitting at their kitchen table reconnecting and taking in life’s lessons from Andre, his kids burst into the house. With well-organized chaos each one dropped his/her book bag, told their respective school stories, and then hit the treadmill/mini-gym in the loft area above our heads. I was in shock! Thinking what is this guy doing to these kids. He’s running a factory here. In doing the math TJ would have been about ten years old then. After they finished their work out, it was on to study hall (or homework), Jones Family style. Each kid helping the other, and no one able to leave the table until everyone finished. Four hours later after witnessing the Jones Family System in full progress I ask Andre, ‘How did you get to this point?’ Andre puts his hand on my shoulder, and in the funniest Coach Holtz voice I’d ever heard he says ‘Son, if you want to be great sit here and learn… if you want to be average take your (expletive) (expletive) next door!’ I never laughed so hard… but I got the idea. Crystal clear!”

“I am most grateful for my opportunity to say goodbye to Andre at his home-going ceremony. I have many other memories worth telling but I was profoundly moved by the remarks made by his children. What we all hope to achieve in life more than anything else is a legacy of life, told through the actions, words, and deeds of our children. ‘Always have a smile on your face, a song in your heart, and everything else will be just fine…’ was the message that hit hardest. And that was Andre all the way. His smile was like sunshine. You couldn’t run from it if you tried. Nor would you want to. I never heard Andre sing, but because of his mentorship I never needed to. He taught me how to sing in my own voice. For those life lessons and memories I am eternally grateful for every moment Andre shared with me.”

“Thank you Andre… Love the Suber Family.”

Georgia defensive end, Phillip Daniels

“Andre Jones was the partner of the sports agent that I hired coming out of college (the University of Georgia) and from that point on we became very close. Our sons were close in age and our families grew close over the years. We did a lot of things together both professionally and personally. He was more of a brother to me than just a friend.”

“TJ has always viewed me as his Uncle (and I view him as my nephew), and my son DaVaris viewed Andre as his Uncle. In fact, for a while they thought they were actually related!”

“Andre was there for me any time I needed help or guidance. If I needed him to come to Chicago, he would be on the next plane. Andre was a big part of why DaVaris went to Notre Dame. When Andre heard that DaVaris had received an offer from Notre Dame he would not let up. I just wish that Andre had gotten the chance to see TJ and DaVaris out there on the field at the same time, enjoying each other, because that was his dream. Although I know he is watching them every Saturday and is smiling down on them. When we got to that point when they both had a chance to go to ND, that was his dream.”

“When ‘Dre and I were first getting to know each other, he used to talk about ND all the time. I used to give him so much crap because he talked about Notre Dame all the time and I used to mess with him … man Notre Dame sucks.”

“When we went to ND for DaVaris’ visit, saw the history and tradition of Notre Dame, I saw my son smiling and I said ‘this is nice. This is where you need to be.'”

“All of the sudden I went from hating on Notre Dame to loving Notre Dame. I talk about ND more than UGA now … Andre would be smiling if he could see me today.”

“I never knew much about Notre Dame except from what I heard from Andre and his ND friends … they’d always give me this song and dance about ‘give me 4 years and I’ll give you 40.’ They were right.”

“Everyone who knew Andre and got to meet him … became close to him.”

“I had just talked to ‘Dre the day before he passed. He and I were busy planning the new business we were starting together. He was going to be the sports agent and I was going to do player development.”

“We were brothers … friends … partners …”

“They day I heard he had an aneurysm I thought for sure he would pull out of it.”

“‘Dre was someone who gave you advice and talked to you all the time. He was real, he wouldn’t sugar coat anything; he’d always tell you the truth.”

“When I look at his family and they look at us we are one big family.”

“I’m always checking up on the kids and seeing what they are doing … his kids are very athletic.”

“He was always funny … he always had fun. When the movie Friday came out we watched it so many times and quoted it every time we saw each other.”

“One thing I have to say about ND people … once you get to know them and hang out with them you become close. Renaldo Wynn and I played with each other at Washington and we are still close today. Everyone is family.”

“I can relate a lot to what TJ is going through as I lost my father as a young man. You become the man of the family … but at the same time, as a football player, you feel like your father is on the field with you going into battle … I’m so proud of TJ and all he’s done.”

…

Thank you, TJ! Your dad had a personality that was larger than life and he is profoundly missed. Your Notre Dame family loves you!

Cheers!

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