| ND vs. The Slate: DB |
|
Written by Christian McCollum
Friday, 30 July 2010 00:00 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Smith hopes to finally find comfort in the secondary.
Notre Dame: Is it possible that the Irish could have a better secondary than all of their opponents? Well, Notre Dame certainly has as much experience and maybe as much talent as any of the secondaries it will face in 2010.
The top five players in the Notre Dame defensive backfield have a combined 62 career starts between them and all five were at least four-star prospects coming out of high school, with senior cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Gary Gray ranking among the best in the country at their position. Junior Robert Blanton has been a contributor since arriving on campus and rounds out the cornerback rotation.
Senior Harrison Smith is one of the top athletes on the roster, but struggled at safety in 2009 after playing linebacker in 2008. Smith was replaced in the starting lineup by Jamoris Slaughter midway through last season and Slaughter, now a junior, appears ready for a breakout season.
But for all of their experience and athleticism, the Irish defensive backs will need to make a huge jump in production after ranking 76th nationally in pass defense last season.
Boston College: The Eagles appear to have a solid three-man rotation at corner with senior DeLeon Gause and juniors Donnie Fletcher and Isaac Johnson. Gause and Fletcher combined for 100 tackles last year and were list as co-starters this spring at field corner while Johnson led the depth chart at the boundary corner in front of senior Chris Fox.
Gause leads the BC cornerbacks.
Junior Dominick LeGrande and sophomore Jim Noel are battling for the starting spot at strong safety. LeGrande made six starts in 2009 and finished with 36 tackles while Noel had 12 tackles in 13 games as a true freshman.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers have plenty of experience at safety, but have to blend in some newcomers at corner.
Senior strong safety Dom DeCicco will be in his third year as a starter after being a Second Team All-Big East selection in 2009. DeCicco was second on the team with 88 tackles and picked off three passes last season.
Sophomore free safety Andrew Taglianetti started the first two games of 2009, but ended up taking a medical redshirt after injuring his knee in the second game. Redshirt sophomore Jarred Holley, who had 48 tackles and three picks while filling in for Taglianetti, returns.
DeCicco, Taglianetti and redshirt freshman Jason Hendricks missed time this spring with injuries, but are expected back in the preseason.
Senior Ricky Gary is the most experienced cornerback on the roster with 10 career starts, but he was a second-stringer by the close of spring drills. Junior Antwuan Reed and junior college transfer Saheed Imoru figure to be the starters heading into summer camp with Gary in the rotation. Juniors Aundre Wright and Buddy Jackson are also trying to get into the mix.
USC: The Trojans have to replace four starters from 2009, but will add senior cornerback Shareece Wright, who missed the 2009 regular season because of academics. Wright did return for last season’s Emerald Bowl and recorded an interception.
Junior T.J. Bryant served as the Trojans’ third corner last year, making 22 tackles, and is fighting redshirt freshman Torin Harris for the spot on the other side of Wright. Both Bryant and Harris figure to be in the rotation.
The safety spots are switched in Monte Kiffin’s Cover-2 defense with the free safety playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Sophomore T.J. McDonald exited spring as the leader at free safety while classmate Jawanza Starling topped the depth chart at strong safety despite spending time with the USC baseball team.
Junior strong safety Drew McAllister and junior free safety Marshall Jones missed time in the spring with injuries, but should compete with Starling and McDonald upon their returns.
Army: Army was 16th in total defense (304.7 yards) and 35th in scoring defense (21.9 points) last season. Part of that success is due to a secondary that ranked third in passing defense (152.8 yards). Three starters from that 2009 unit return for 2010.
Senior free safety Donovan Travis leads the group after finishing tied for third on the team with 71 tackles and leading the squad with four interceptions last year. He will be joined by senior starting strong safety Donnie Dixon and senior safety Jordan Trimble, who is viewed as a third starter.
Junior Antuan Aaron leads the cornerbacks after registering 52 tackles, an interception and five pass breakups last year. Senior Richard King missed all of 2009 with a concussion, but is back to start at the other corner spot. Sophomore Joshua Jackson and senior L.B. Brown could also become valuable contributors if they can stay healthy.
Michigan State: Cornerback Chris L. Rucker was not listed as a starter at the beginning of spring after his involvement in a dorm room brawl, but the 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior will certainly be a starter in the fall after receiving All-Big Ten honorable mention nods in each of the last two seasons.
Rucker will be joined by 5-foot-11, 172-pound sophomore Johnny Adams at corner. Adams started a pair of games and played in 12 as a true freshman in 2008, but he sat out last season to deal with a shoulder injury and the death of his grandmother. Mark Dantonio said that Adams earned the starting spot this spring.
Senior Marcus Hyde and junior Trenton Robinson return as the starters at safety. The 6-foot, 206-pound Hyde made 46 tackles in seven starts at strong safety spot last fall while the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Robinson was fourth on the Spartans with 67 tackles in seven starts at free safety in 2009.
While there is experience among the starters, Michigan State, several underclassmen will fill out the two-deep. The Spartan secondary’s success will be tied into its ability to stay healthy and the front seven’s ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Spartans picked off just six of the 481 passes attempted against them and only two teams in the country allowed more than the 42 touchdown passes Michigan State surrendered in 2009.
Middleton is one of two experienced safeties on Navy's roster.
Middleton will be in his fourth year starting at strong safety or Rover in Navy‘s system. The team captain, who has 231 career tackles, registered 68 stops and four interceptions with seven pass breakups last season. Merchant plays free safety and had 54 tackles, a pair of interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2009, his first season as a full-time starter.
Senior cornerback Kevin Edwards bounced back from a 2008 ankle injury to record 51 tackles and an interception last fall. Edwards played in 12 games and started three as a true freshman in 2007, making 27 tackles.
Junior Kwesi Mitchell was competing with former wide receiver Mario Washington for the other cornerback spot, but it appears to be his after Washington was dismissed for an honor code violation. Mitchell started a pair of games in 2009 and appeared in all 14, finishing with 29 tackles and two pass breakups.
Junior David Wright figures to be the third corner while sophomore Tra’ves Bush could be the next safety in.
Utah: Utah hopes that a couple of veteran cornerbacks will help ease the loss of three starters in the secondary. Utah will still have an experienced pair of corners in junior Brandon Burton and sophomore Lamar Chapman.
Burton returns as a starter after recording 47 tackles and an interception last season along with 10 other pass breakups. Chapman will move into a starting role after playing nickel back last year and notching 46 tackles with two interceptions and six pass breakups. Junior Conroy Black brings legit speed to the defensive backfield as the third corner.
Senior Justin Taplin-Ross becomes the starter at strong safety after appearing in all 13 games last year. Taplin-Ross made 29 tackles and broke up three passes in 2009. Redshirt freshman Chris Washington and true freshman Damian Payne are competing for the free safety spot next to Taplin-Ross.
A former walk-on, Kovacs is now a key contributor.
Senior Troy Woolfolk started half the 2009 season at safety and the other half at cornerback. He could play either this season and will be the Wolverines’ top defensive back wherever he lines up. Where he ends up could depend on the development of several first-year players in the secondary.
Redshirt sophomore J.T. Floyd and redshirt freshman Justin Turner are competing at cornerback while incoming freshmen Cullen Christian and Terrence Talbott will also get their chances to get on the field.
Jordan Kovacs earned a starting spot at safety as a walk-on in 2009 and the redshirt sophomore is likely to be in the first group again this season, but the Wolverines will have to replace spinner Stevie Brown, who led the team with 80 tackles in 2009. Junior Mike Williams, sophomore Floyd Simmons and redshirt freshman Thomas Gordon are battling to be Brown’s replacement as a hybrid linebacker/safety .
Sophomores Vladimir Emilien and Teric Jones will try to work their way into the two-deep at safety along with redshirt freshmen Cameron Gordon and Thomas Gordon and incoming freshman Marvin Robinson.
The Wolverines had hoped for February signee Demar Dorsey to provide an instant impact in the secondary, but Dorsey was not admitted to school.
Stanford: The Cardinal secondary was 110th in the nation last year against the pass, allowing over 264.7 passing yards per game.
Stanford returns a pair of starters in fifth-year senior cornerback Richard Sherman and junior strong safety Delano Howell. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Howell was a running back when he arrived in Palo Alto, but successfully made the transition to safety last fall. He was second on the team with 78 tackles and had a couple of interceptions in 2009.
The 6-foot-3, 197-pound Sherman began his career at Stanford as a receiver, but was also moved to the secondary last season. Sherman made 62 tackles last fall and led the team with 10 passes defended while also picking off two passes.
Sherman missed time in the spring along with classmate Corey Gatewood. Their absences gave redshirt freshman Terrence Brown an opportunity at corner and he made the most of it. The trio should rotate in the fall with experienced juniors Michael Thomas and Johnson Bademosi providing depth.
Senior Austin Yancy and sophomore Harold Bernard are battling for the open spot at safety next to Howell while ex-quarterback Alex Loukas is expected to be the backup at strong safety.
Purdue: Purdue has virtually no experience in its secondary after graduating four players with a combined 110 starts.
Junior safety Albert Evans is the only member of this year’s defensive backfield with any meaningful experience and that came as the third corner last season. The rest of the projected starters include a junior college transfer (cornerback Mike Eargle) and a pair of sophomores (cornerback Josh Johnson and safety Chris Quinn) who have three career tackles between them.
Purdue’s secondary will need help from the front seven to protect it from being taken advantage of, especially early in the season.
Berry is one of the Broncos' top defensive backs.
Senior safety Jamail Berry and junior safety Doug Wiggins return after solid 2009 seasons, but Western Michigan is still looking for a couple of capable corners.
Berry led the team with five interceptions and had 58 tackles last season while Wiggins had 47 stops in his first season playing since transferring from Miami.
Junior Deshon Lawrence figures to be one of the lead corners after starting three games and making 29 tackles and an interception last season. Sophomore Damond Smith is competing with redshirt freshmen Lewis Toler and Jermaine Vereen for the other corner spot. Smith had 26 tackles as a true freshman last season.
Tulsa: Tulsa returns two starting safeties two its five-man defensive backfield, but the unit needs to improve after allowing 250.2 passing yards per game (103rd nationally) in 2009.
Two of the Golden Hurricanes’ three safeties act as safety/linebacker hybrids, including junior Spur DeAudre Brown, who led Tulsa with 102 tackles last year and also notched an interception and a sack. Juniors John Flanders and Milton Howell will battle for the Bandit safety spot.
Sophomore Dexter McCoil returns at free safety after ranking third on the squad with 85 tackles as a true freshman. He also picked up an interception and broke up six passes. Seniors Charles Davis and Laquentin Black combined for 28 tackles in 2009 and are expected to take over as the starters at corner.
Tulsa signed eight defensive backs in its latest recruiting class, so expect some fresh faces to be mixed in. |
|
|
| Power Hour Loaded |
|
Written by Mike Frank
Thursday, 29 July 2010 05:19 |
|
|
|
|
|  Wednesday's show featured an interview with 2011 offensive tackle prospect, Antonio Richardson, and his father, Lanny. We also answered your phone calls and e-mail.
Click the link below to listen to the show.
Power Hour |
|
| ND vs. The Slate: LB |
|
Written by Christian McCollum
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 23:36 |
|
|
|
|
|
Kuechly was second in the country with 158 tackles in 2009.
Michigan State: Despite only showing 4-3 fronts in their spring game, the Spartans have toyed with the idea of using a 3-4 alignment in 2010 to take advantage of their depth at linebacker.
Senior Greg Jones is one of the best linebackers in the country. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound middle linebacker was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and was a consensus First Team All-American. He has led Michigan State in tackles in all three of his seasons and has 359 career stops.
Jones’ classmate, Eric Gordon, will return to start next to Jones at Sam. The 6-foot, 228-pound Gordon and Jones are tied for the team lead with 27 consecutive starts. Gordon’s 91 tackles in 2009 were second on the team. He has 239 career stops, including 22.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks.
6-foot-1, 215-pound Chris Norman is listed as the Spartans’ starter at the Star position after playing in all 13 games as a true freshman last year. Senior Jon Misch brings some experience to the unit, but the rest of the reserves are likely to be underclassmen.
Boston College: Mark Herzlich was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Luke Kuechly was the ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2009. Everyone around Chestnut Hill is excited to see the pair play together for the first time in 2010.
Smith was the Trojans' second-leading tackler in 2009.
Herzlich was limited in contact drills during the spring, and he admitted that he was not 100 percent, but he promised to get back to his 2008 form by the start of the season. Senior Mike Morrissey is also back after making 37 tackles as a starter last season.
USC: USC had to break in three new starters in 2009, but all three are back for 2010 along with a youngster looking to break into the starting lineup. Seniors Malcolm Smith and Mike Morgan are back to start on the outside while junior Chris Galippo is trying to hold off sophomore Devon Kennard to retain his spot in the middle.
Smith was second on USC with 72 tackles in 2009 while Galippo was two behind Smith. Morgan made 50 tackles, including 13 behind the line of scrimmage and four sacks. Kennard started the 2009 season at defensive end, but was moved to outside linebacker for the final four games before being moved to the middle this spring.
Junior Shane Horton is a capable backup, but the transfer of junior Jordan Campbell makes depth a true concern.
Pittsburgh: If sophomore Dan Mason can follow in the footsteps of the Pitt middle linebackers before him, the Panther linebacking corps could be one of the very best in the Big East.
Pitt’s starting middle linebacker has been featured on the All-Big East First Team in each of the last five seasons. Mason, who replaces Adam Gunn, started three games last year and played in all 13, finishing with 26 stops, two sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Junior starters Max Gruder and Greg Williams are back on the outside. Gruder led Pitt with 91 tackles from his Will spot last season while Williams is back for his third season as the starting Sam. Williams had just 33 tackles in 2009, but he did bring back an interception and a fumble for touchdowns.
The rest of the two-deep is almost completely inexperienced.
How good will Te'o be in 2010?
Senior Brian Smith will be moving back to his natural on the outside in the Irish’s new 3-4 look with junior Anthony McDonald emerging during the spring as the leading candidate to start alongside Te’o on the inside.
The 6-foot-3, 234-pound Smith was second on the team with 71 stops in 2009 and came up with a game-clinching interception against Boston College. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound McDonald was a valuable part of the Irish special teams in 2009 after sitting out as a freshman. McDonald impressed the new staff enough to be on the first team defense by the conclusion of spring drills.
Junior Darius Fleming will start opposite Smith on the outside, but could also see time at defensive end again after doing so in 2009. Fleming had 29 tackles last fall, 12 of which came behind the line of scrimmage. He has improved in pass coverage and is still a threat to rush the passer with his hand on the ground or not.
Senior Kerry Neal and junior Steve Filer are capable options on the outside while junior David Posluszny and sophomore Carlo Calabrese figure to be the top backups in the middle.
Army: In the first year of head coach Rich Ellerson’s Double-Eagle Flex defense, the Black Knights ranked 16th nationally in total defense, allowing just 304.7 yards per game. There is reason to believe that Army can duplicate, or even improve on, that performance in 2010, especially with the return of all three starting linebackers.
Juniors Andrew Rodriguez and Steven Erzinger are back on the outside with senior Stephen Anderson returning to control the middle. Rodriguez led the team with 85 tackles last season, two ahead of Anderson, while Erzinger tied for third on the squad with 71 stops.
Army feels good about Rodriguez and its linebackers.
Former fullback Kingsley Ehie is an interesting, athletic option for Army.
Purdue: Purdue has plenty of experience and talent at linebacker.
Sixth-year senior Jason Werner will be a two-time captain this fall after the 6-foot-4, 221-pounder made 77 tackles, including 14.5 behind the line of scrimmage, in 2009.
6-foot-1, 225-pound former safety Joe Holland returns as a starter after placing second on the team with 81 stops last fall. Junior Chris Carlino is the other returning starter after notching 71 tackles in 2009, but he will be pushed by sophomore Dwayne Beckford, who notched 34 tackles as a reserve last season.
Sophomore Antwon Higgs and freshman Will Lucas present a pair of youngsters who the Boilermakers are eager to see in action.
Stanford: One of the reasons that Stanford decided to shift to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Vic Fangio was the deep crop of linebackers on the roster.
Sophomore Shayne Skov won the starting middle linebacker job midway through 2009. He finished with 62 tackles, tied for third on the team, and is expected to see his production increase in 2010. Skov will be joined by former fullback Owen Marecic, who made the transition from offense during the spring.
Former defensive ends Thomas Keiser and Chase Thomas will line up at outside linebacker in the new alignment. Keiser led the team with 15 tackles for a loss and nine sacks as a sophomore in 2009 while Thomas had four sacks and seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage as a redshirt freshman last year.
Like Marecic, junior Alex Debniak saw time on both offense and defense in the spring, but is expected to be at linebacker in the fall.
Utah: The Utes are convinced that they have enough experienced linebackers to overcome the loss of three starters from 2009, although a spring injury will sideline senior Nai Fotu for the year.
Junior J.J. Williams had 55 tackles and an interception as a freshman starter in 2006 before going on a two-year Mormon mission. Former quarterback Chad Manis is another likely starter on the outside with junior Matt Martinez replacing Fotu in the middle.
Manis and Martinez combined for just 10 tackles in 2009, but they earned valuable experience on the playing field. Utah has plenty of confidence in juniors Chaz Walker and Jamel King off the bench.
Ezeh's looking to bounce back in 2010.
Michigan also has a pair of veteran linebackers back in seniors Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton, but both need to improve on mediocre 2009 seasons. Junior J.B. Fitzgerald and redshirt sophomore Kenny Demens could see their roles increase if the seniors do not return to their old form.
Perhaps more important than getting more out of Ezeh and Mouton will be finding a replacement for hybrid linebacker/safety Stevie Brown. After three inconsistent seasons as a safety, Brown found his niche in the hybrid spot, where he led the squad with 80 tackles.
The Wolverines are hoping for a similar awakening with junior Mike Williams, whose past seems to mirror Brown’s.
Western Michigan: The Broncos lose two-time All-MAC linebacker Austin Pritchard, who led Western Michigan in tackles by a wide margin in 2009. Pritchard had 102 stops last season while the next closest Bronco had 63 tackles.
Junior Mitch Zajac and sophomores Deauntay Legrier and Chris Prom all have starting experience, but need to increase their production. Zajac and Prom will play next to Legrier, who plays the middle. Zajac was sixth on the team with 51 tackles while Legrier finished with 44 tackles and Prom 15.
Sophomore Dex Jones sat out last season after transferring from Wisconsin, but is expected to be in the rotation and could challenge for a starting job. The rest of the two-deep is largely inexperienced.
Navy: Linebacker is a major concern for the Midshipmen as they have to replace all four starters from a year ago.
Senior inside linebacker Tyler Simmons is the best of the new bunch of starters this year after finishing third on the team with 68 tackles in 2009.
Junior Caleb King, who was a standout on special teams last fall, stood out during spring and grabbed the other inside linebacker spot. Junior Max Blue figures to be one of the top reserves on the inside.
The outside jobs are still open following spring. Junior Andrew McCauley has the inside track for one spot while senior Jerry Hauburger and sophomore Collin Sturdivant are listed as co-starters on the other side. McCauley was a fixture on special teams last fall while Hauburger and Sturdivant have yet to make much of an impact.
Tulsa: Tulsa runs a 3-3-5 defense, but two of its safeties act as safety/linebacker hybrids. The Golden Hurricanes have to replace four of their top six linebackers from 2009.
Senior outside linebacker Tanner Antle had 78 tackles, 6.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks in 2009. Sophomore Curnelius Arnick moves into a starting position at the other outside spot after making 53 stops last season.
Shawn Jackson was a ‘gray shirt’ in 2009 as he did not join the roster until the winter. He is expected to move into the starting spot in the middle. 5-foot-10, 204-pound Alan Dock will be one of the top reserves, but the rest of the two-deep lacks experience.
Junior Spur safety DeAundre Brown is back after leading the team with 102 tackles last season, but Tulsa will have a new starter at Bandit safety. |
|
| Power Hour Tonight: 7:00 PM Eastern |
|
Written by Mike Frank
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 15:15 |
|
|
|
|
|  We have another show scheduled for tonight. On the show this evening will be offensive tackle prospect, Antonio Richardson, and his father, Lanny, to speak about his recent visit to Notre Dame.
W'e will also take your phone calls and e-mails on the show after the interview. To listen to the show live click the link below at the scheduled time.
Power Hour |
|
| The Important Things In Life |
|
Written by Christian McCollum
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 00:02 |
|
|
|
|
Spond couldn't wait to put the pads on.
“We’d buy him the same identical hat, but he wouldn’t change,” Don said.
After years of trying, Don was finally able to get it off by supplying a duplicate and now, the worn-out Notre Dame lid sits idly on a mantle in the Spond household in Littleton, Colo. Danny began wearing Notre Dame gear as a two-year-old, started wrapping himself in an Irish blanket at five and his first password for his computer was ‘notredame.’
Nobody in the Spond family can pinpoint exactly when Danny’s affection for the Irish began, but it likely had something to do with Notre Dame’s presence on national television, a grandfather who had a great deal of respect for the Irish football program and countless screenings of “Rudy”.
Before becoming attached to that Notre Dame hat, Danny’s preferred headwear was a Riddell football helmet big enough to be spun completely around his head. The loose fit did not stop the five-year-old from turning snowmen into would-be ball carriers in the family’s backyard.
“We’d build three or four snowmen,” Danny remembers. “I’d drop back like a linebacker and safety and, ‘Boom!’ right into one and the next and the next.”
“His whole facemask would be completely filled with snow when he got up,” Don recalls. “He’d clean off the snow and do it again.”
The snowmen were all Danny got to tackle until he was old enough to play organized football at seven years old.
Few athletes have achieved the kind of youth success of Danny and his peers. Don coached the same group of kids in football, basketball and baseball. The bunch grabbed a couple of youth state titles in basketball, five baseball state championships and seven straight in football, when the team won 77 of 78 games. The one loss came in a game Danny missed because of an injury.
Danny stood out in every sport, but always knew which one held his future.
“Football was going to be his game from a very early age,” says Don. “He was just heads above all of the other kids. He wasn’t bigger than all of the other kids, but he was faster than them.”
In 2006, Danny entered a high school as well known as any in the country, but he believes it is for the wrong reasons.
Danny was a first-grader on April 20, 1999 and was first alerted that something was going on when he was not allowed to walk the hallways alone. School got out early that day, and when his parents picked him up, he found out about the shooting spree at Columbine High School.
Schools around town were closed for a week and there was nothing on TV except stories about the tragedy.
“It was pretty intense for a little while,” Danny remembers.
The town pulled together and the Columbine community was a close as ever when Danny arrived seven years later.
“Columbine is amazing, it’s the best place,” he says. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else. Columbine is one of the most amazing places on this Earth. I could not be happier to spend my years there.
“That’s something that will never be forgotten. I couldn’t be more proud to have been a Rebel and go to Columbine. It’s by far the best place in the world to me. They’ve become the victor over the victim in that situation.”
Danny went to church with his family every Sunday, but admits that, until high school, he was more into going out to lunch afterward than enjoying Mass.
“I started to pay attention in church and it started to hit home (in high school) when tough situations would come around,” he says. “I’ve taken that with me on the field and I always put God first in my life. I feel when you do that and you put others in front of you, good things will happen.”
Spond's faith is the most important thing in his life.
“With God you can do anything and I’m a prime example of that,” he says. “I always try to be the best I can and show people that’s the way to go and with it, anything is possible.”
“Danny’s faith is first above anything else,” says Don.
Danny says his owes his faith to his father and his mother, Janet.
“They would always make sure we understood to respect people and put others before yourself,” he says. “They brought us up right. It’s impossible to put into words how grateful I am for them.”
As a freshman at Columbine, Danny started at linebacker on a state championship team and played varsity basketball and baseball his first two years of high school before giving those sports up to concentrate on football.
There would be no more state titles, but Danny helped Columbine reach the state playoffs as a quarterback, safety, linebacker and kicker over his final three years. Recruiting got serious after his junior season and, he still dreamed of playing at Notre Dame. The Irish recruited him, but they did not come through with a scholarship offer.
“Everybody has a dream, but if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be,” he remembers thinking at the time.
So in April of his junior year, Danny committed to his second favorite school, Colorado. As he watched the Buffaloes struggle through a 3-9 season in 2009, he began to wonder about Dan Hawkins’ status and his own future in the program. During a trip to the airport to pick up his sister over Thanksgiving, he told his father that he wanted to reopen his recruitment.
“I realized I have bigger dreams that I’ve worked hard for,” he says.
When word of his decommitment got out, Stanford and TCU quickly expressed interest before he got a phone call from Notre Dame assistant Tony Alford.
“I was just like, ‘Wow. This is why I’ve played football for so many years, just to get that phone call,’” he says.
Alford arranged a visit to Colorado and followed up with another call to offer a scholarship in mid-January.
“Tears came to my eyes,” Danny says. “I couldn’t believe it. Something I worked so hard for over the years was happening.”
Danny called his father to tell him the news.
“Boy, it brought a tear to both of our eyes,” remembers Don. “We couldn’t believe it.”
Spond followed his faith and dreams.
Danny made his first-ever trip to South Bend on the last weekend of January.
“Even in January when it was four degrees out, it was everything I thought it would be,” he says. “The history and the people that were there and are there, it’s just an honor. When you walk in the stadium you remember the movie “Rudy” and Joe Montana and Lou Holtz. You’re just like, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’”
Knowing there was a good chance their son would make a decision, Don and Janet accompanied Danny on the trip.
“I was in awe,” recalls Don. “We went into the Basilica and our jaw about hit the ground. It’s just the most beautiful thing. I haven’t seen anything so beautiful. You picture your son or daughter going there and you know God has a hand in it.”
Still, Don and Janet were left up all night as they pondered their son’s decision without trying to put too much pressure on him. Finally, on Saturday morning, the Sponds met with Kelly and Danny let everyone in on his choice.
“It was a pretty special moment,” Don says. “The hair stands up on the back of your neck. You get goosebumps. My wife and I got teary, tears of joy. You always want the best for your kids. Going to Notre Dame, there’s no better place to have your kids go.”
Don, a plumber, and Janet, a sixth-grade teacher, have seen their dedication pay off in the form of a daughter, Jill, who is a licensed lawyer in three different states, another daughter, Julie, who is a molecular biologist and a son, who is set to start his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame in a matter of weeks.
“My parents are my hero and role models,” says Danny. “From day one, they’ve brought us up right in this house. I cannot thank them enough for everything they’ve given me. They’re the ultimate role models to me and I want to grow up to be the type of people that they are. I love them more than absolutely anything in this world. They made me who I am today.”
The feeling is mutual and a day does not go by when Don does remind his son he is his best friend.
“You always want your kids to look up to you, but when I look at Dan, I look up to him,” says Don. “Everything he does in his life. I tell him, ‘You know, Danny, you’ve got an aura about you. An aura is like a magnet and that magnet attracts people to you and you become the best leader to those people that want to be around you.’
“He has that and there’s few people I know that have that aura.” |
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 27 July 2010 08:36 ) |
|
|
|
