Updates on Some Former Notre Dame Players

First off, Head Coach Brian Kelly hosted a BBQ on the patio outside his offices at the Gug for a number of 2013 verbally committed and uncommitted players last weekend.  He reportedly was walking around with no apparent ‘hitch’ from his recent back surgery.  Keep it up coach!

Former defensive end Brandon Newman has joined the Ball State Football Team.  Brandon had a year of eligibility left and was not offered a scholarship to play his fifth year for the Irish.  He played in two games during his career at ND.

Former cornerback Gary Gray was not invited to the NFL spring combine, was not drafted and was not offered a free agent contract.  The Detroit Lions did invite Gary to a tryout during a May mini-camp.  Checking the Lions transaction wire, we did not see any indication of his status.  Gray probably is most remembered for being the ‘goat’ in the Michigan game in 2011.

Checking the wire and Goggling David Ruffer has come up with a blank.  Sometimes a team will bring in a PK just to ‘push’ and stir things up with the incumbent during fall camp.  We’ll keep looking.

If you want to read some wonderful ‘touchy-feely’ interview type articles on former Notre Dame standouts, you got to point and click to the No Coast Bias website.  You can do it HERE.

A great series of posts written by ncblisa .

So far Lisa Kelly has interviewed Oscar McBride, Rick Mirer, Marc Edwards and Adrian Jarrell.  According to Lisa more are in the works and next are Reggie Brooks and Gerome Sapp.

What we get out the interviews is that these players enjoyed tremendous camaraderie, great coaching, wonderful experiences attending Notre Dame and getting a first rate education while playing football on some great Teams.  When their NFL careers petered out or were nonexistent, they relied on degrees from Notre Dame and a highly underrated networking system of former alumni and players to help them adjust to a new life and profession.  Good reads all.