Irish look for new football heroes in freshmen athletes
By TIM CASEY
Assistant Sports Editor
The 18 freshmen football players arrived for their first practice on August 7, all with impressive resumes and high expectations.
Within a few days, they realized the difficult transition from high school hero to Notre Dame newcomer.
ÒThatÕs natural,Ó said coach Bob Davie of the freshmen, who are not allowed to speak with the media until after the Sept. 2 opening game against Texas A&M. ÒWe just tell them to take it one day at a time.Ó
For Davie, in the fourth year of his highly-publicized (and critical) tenure, getting that clichŽ message across to the Class of 2004, may seem like the least of his worries. But he remains focused on maintaining the confidence of impressionable freshmen.
Included in the class are three quarterbacks Ñ Carlyle Holiday, Matt LoVecchio and Jared Clark Ñ who are competing with junior starter Arnaz Battle and sophomore Gary Godsey for playing time.
In preparation for the college game, Davie sent the new quarterbacks play books and videotapes during the summer. But, complying with NCAA rules, the coaches could not spend extensive time teaching them. When the trio came here, that all changed.
Battle and Godsey have helped make the transition easier, counseling the freshmen on the physical and mental aspects of the position while the coaching staff can now work with them in person.
ÒThereÕs a lot to learn Ñschemes, reading defenses and picking up blitzes,ÓGodsey said. ÒItÕll take time.Ó
Less than two weeks into practice, the results are unclear. On Wednesday, Holiday, LoVecchio and Clark each took snaps for the first time against the defense. As of now, Davie said the freshmen are behind the upperclassmen on the depth chart. The three freshmen may even be grouped together for the season instead of naming a single third quarterback.
ÒWe want to be fair to them,Ó Davie said. ÒWe want to give them enough reps under pressure. ThereÕs no need to rush it.Ó
Holiday, rated the 48th best high school player by the Chicago Sun-Times last season, is already popular among Irish fans. On Feb. 2, the first official signing day, Holiday chose Notre Dame over Nebraska, denying the Cornhuskers another top recruit and upgrading an already solid Irish quarterback class. As a senior at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, Holiday completed 48 of 105 passes for 719 yards and rushed for 876 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
LoVecchio verbally committed to the Irish after attending the summer football camp in 1999. Partly due to his early commitment, LoVecchio did not gain the attention from the recruiting analysts that Clark and Holiday received but still was named an honorable mention USA Today All-American. A four-year letter winner at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, LoVecchio completed nearly 60% of his passes for 1503 yards as a senior.
Clark, a 6-foot-4 220-lb. freshmen from Sarasota, Fla. also attended the 1999 summer camp. He started for Cardinal Mooney High School since the seventh game of his freshman season and was named first-team all-state last season. Clark finished his high school career accounting for over 5000 yards in total offense, including 2113 as a senior.
ÒI donÕt think IÕve seen a more talented group from top to bottom,Ó Davie said. ÒWe have it stocked for quite awhile.Ó
DavieÕs enthusiasm is not limited to the quarterback trio. Other freshmen he mentioned on Wednesday as being ÒmatureÓ were tight end Billy Palmer, defensive backs Vontez Duff and Preston Jackson and drop linebacker Mike Goolsby.
ÒHeÕs a coachÕs dream,Ósaid Davie of Goolsby. ÒFootball is very important to him. HeÕll be playing in games this year.Ó
And for all freshmen, whether or not they play this season, Davie has instituted a mentor program. Each freshman has a ÒBig Brother,Óan upperclassman who helps them adjust to college life, on and off the field.
ÒYou really see the difference in speed and intensity (from high school to college),Ó said Grant Irons, a senior captain, whoÕs a ÒBig BrotherÓ to wide receiver Omar Jenkins. ÒBut itÕs all part of the process. TheyÕve all approached it real well.Ó
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, August 23, 2000
