Tag: Joe Theismann

Notre Dame’s JD Bertrand named First-Team Academic All-American

The captain is quite smart.

[autotag]JD Bertrand[/autotag] was a captain at Notre Dame the past two years. Somehow, that didn’t take the linebacker away from his studies enough for his grades to suffer. In fact, he absolutely thrived in the classroom, and now, he’s been recognized for that.

Bertrand has been named a First-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators. He’s the 37th Irish player to be so honored and the first since [autotag]Drue Tranquill[/autotag] in 2016 and 2017. Other Irish honorees over the years include [autotag]Mike Golic Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag], [autotag]John Carlson[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Theismann[/autotag].

Bertrand was recognized by virtue of earning a 3.62/3.74 GPA. He also was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team alongside [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag] and [autotag]Davis Sherwood[/autotag]. There are some smart players on the Irish indeed.

Bertand’s current focus is preparing for the NFL draft. Whoever picks him, if anybody, will be getting someone with intelligence and leadership qualities. Hopefully, those will be on full display at the next level.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Commanders must get 3 positions right this offseason

Washington must get three positions right this offseason.

It is no secret the Washington Commanders are going for a complete renovation this offseason.

There will be many players released and not invited back for 2024. There will be a new draft class and several new free agents signed to join the Commanders.

Josh Harris is going to hire the franchise’s next general manager any day now. Whomever he is, he will become the first Washington general manager to possess authentic general manager power since Charley Casserly was Washington’s general manager (1989-99).

Then Harris and the new general manager will embark on hiring the team’s next head coach. He will follow Ron Rivera, who failed to achieve a single winning season in his four seasons as Commanders’ head coach.

Quick question: which is most important, your general manager, your head coach, or your starting quarterback? Before you reply, consider the answer might just be “yes.” As important as a general manager and head coach are, today’s NFL might also require you to have a winning quarterback as well.

Which makes the accomplishment of Joe Jackson Gibbs even more significant. Gibbs won three Super Bowl championships for the Burgundy and Gold, and his quarterbacks for those championship seasons were Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. Three guys who will never be in the Hall of Fame, and only one was an NFL-leading quarterback (Theismann in 1983), and that team did not win a Super Bowl, though they did play in Super Bowl XVIII, falling to the Raiders.

An NFL team’s starting quarterback can mean so much to your franchise. For instance, the last time Washington had a winning season, Kirk Cousins was the starter. Washington’s last two winning seasons 2015 (9-7) and 2016 (8-7-1), it was Cousins leading the team.

Cousins was criticized heavily by much of the fan base in those days. Yet, how many winning seasons has Washington achieved since Cousins’ departure? Not a single one.

The Commanders will need to land a quality quarterback this offseason as well.

Joe Theismann believes Sam Howell can be Washington’s franchise QB

Legendary Washington Commanders QB Joe Theismann believes Sam Howell can be the next franchise QB.

It’s been quite the year for former Tar Heel [autotag]Sam Howell[/autotag] as he gets established as the Washington Commanders quarterback.

This season, Howell has impressed teammates, analysts, and fans with his tight-window throws that only experience QB throws. Despite being a fifth-round draft pick just a year prior, Howell has been looked at as the potential franchise QB for the future.

Many analysts have echoed the belief that Howell is the right guy to command Washington into a bright future, and now he’s picking up faith from legendary Washington QB Joe Theismann. When speaking with ESPN Commander’s reporter John Keim, the legendary QB explained his belief in Howell.

 

It was always a shock to see Howell drop so low in the 2022 NFL draft, so it’s nice to see his talent finally get the recognition it deserves.

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Joe Theismann acknowledges anniversary of career-ending injury

The anniversary of an important event is here.

People have spent the past 24 hours panicking over Twitter’s future. But until the site goes away, we will continue to see prominent figures create commemorative tweets when the time calls for them. Case in point, former Notre Dame quarterback and College Football Hall of Famer [autotag]Joe Theismann[/autotag]. Friday marked the anniversary of the broken leg on “Monday Night Football” that cut his career short, and he wanted to let everyone know:

We won’t post the video of the injury because it’s just too graphic. However you can stomach the footage, it still is big to see Theismann acknowledge the moment that took away his gift. While it’s far from the first time he’s discussed it publicly, that doesn’t lessen the impact of these particular words.

It’s unfair to think about what would have happened had he played a few more years. Maybe he would have gotten that Pro Football Hall of Fame call. Regardless, he still had an amazing career. We all would have loved to experience every he did before the injury.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Joe Theismann: Sam Howell does a terrific job leading Commanders

Joe Theismann excited about Sam Howell and his future.

“I think Sam (Howell) does a terrific job leading this football team,” declared Joe Theismann.

Theismann was a guest on The Team 980 on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” Tuesday.

Theismann came to Washington for the 1974 season and instantly learned Billy Kilmer was a leader of the team and the aging Sonny Jurgensen who was playing in his last NFL season at age 40, was certainly revered enough, he was going to play, and Theismann was not.

Even after Jurgensen retired, George Allen went out and picked up veteran Randy Johnson to be the second quarterback behind Kilmer in 1975. In 1976, Theismannn was given an opportunity, starting five games and then six games in 1977, becoming the starter in 1978 and keeping the job until his horrible career-ending injury during the 1985 season.

Theismann became a very vocal leader of the Redskins up into his last season. So, he knows something about quarterback leadership.

“The quarterback position is unique when it comes to a leadership role,” declared Theismann.

NFL games are often tight, and the pressure is on your quarterback to make big plays.

Theismann asked, “Can you deliver in the moment?” The guys are looking to you; the guys are counting on you.”

Regarding Sam Howell and his 2023 performance, Theismann emphasized, “He’s one tough son-of-a-gun. He’s been sacked 41 times, I think is the number.” Actually, it’s worse; he’s been sacked 44 times through nine games.

“I’m always curious when a quarterback gets knocked down, who’s helping him up? You watch some quarterbacks when they go down; there is not one lineman there helping them up. That is all you need to know about how that team feels about that individual.”

Theismann feels the Commanders team believes in Howell. “These guys appreciate Sam; they appreciate his work ethic. I am getting a kick out of watching Sam grow.”

While Ron Rivera has repeatedly mentioned Howell’s growth and development, Theismann also knows offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is still learning about Howell as well.

“Eric is still learning what Sam can do. We are talking about nine football games. Eric is still putting together the pieces of the puzzle with Sam.”

 

Joe Theismann believes ownership wants to change the Commanders name

Joe Theismann weighs in on another potential name change.

Washington team president Jason Wright made headlines Thursday when he went on the “BMitch and Finlay” show on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. When asked about potentially going back to the old “Redskins” moniker, Wright said that “is not being considered. Period.”

Washington’s fan base is split on the name. A portion of the fan base just dealt with non-stop drama over the name for two years until Washington rebranded as the Commanders in Feb. 2022. They are ready to focus on football, not another name change.

Another segment of fans hates the current name. Some feel like it’s an expansion team. Others don’t think it fits.

New Washington owner Josh Harris hasn’t done anything to quiet the speculation about the name. When asked about the name, he’s made it a point to say it doesn’t matter what he thinks; it’s what the fans think. As Adam Schefter told him on his podcast, the fans don’t like the name.

Harris repeated that statement multiple times. Then there was minority partner Magic Johnson saying in an interview on the TODAY Show that “everything is on the table” regarding the name.

So you can see why many believe Harris and his partners would consider another name change. Of course, as Harris has also pointed out, it’s not a priority right now, as he and his partners are focused on improvements to FedEx Field, improving the fan experience and the upcoming season.

Legendary former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” Thursday and believes Harris and his partners will change the name.

“I think they want to move towards a new name and sort of put everything about the Washington Commanders, the Washington Football Team, in the rearview mirror and move forward,” Theismann said.

“I think Josh Harris and his group have done a terrific job of creating an environment that’s really very positive. What you hear a lot now is people talking about the football team. Over the past couple of years, there’s been more conversation about what has taken place off the field or away from the field than it has been on the field. So, to me, I think what we see is something very, very positive going on.”

Theismann goes on to praise Washington’s talent, including the defensive line, wide receivers and running backs. And Theismann has high hopes for quarterback Sam Howell.

Theismann has always had the ear of ownership. Granted, this is new ownership, but early in training camp, Theismann was on the practice field talking to Harris and one of his partners, Mitchell Rales, both of whom grew up as Washington fans.

 

History of Notre Dame’s rivalry with Navy

This rivalry is filled more history than nearly any other rivalry in college football.

Few rivalries in college football have as much history and prestige as Notre Dame-Navy.

Except for the COVID-19-affected season, these programs have played each other every year since 1927. Even with the college football landscape seemingly always in flux, there’s no reason to think this rivalry will stop anytime soon. Most fans on both sides are fine with that, even if the Irish have won the vast majority of the meetings.

If for no other reason, Notre Dame owes it to Navy to keep the rivalry going. When Notre Dame faced financial difficulties during World War II, the Navy opted to use the university as a training ground for its V-12 program. The money the Navy paid for that usage kept the university from going under, so Notre Dame feel it’s forever in its debt.

The result is many memorable moments over the years. Here are some of them:

Commanders 2023 training camp roundup: Highlights and videos from Day 1

Some video highlights from Day 1 of Commanders training camp.

The Washington Commanders opened training camp Wednesday with a 90-minute session that was closed to the public. While the fans weren’t in attendance, the local media was, and they shared videos and highlights from Day 1 of camp.

It was a solid day for quarterback Sam Howell. Howell was sharp and appeared in sync with tight ends Logan Thomas and Cole Turner. While Howell had a solid start, third-string quarterback Jake Fromm didn’t have the best day.

Here’s a roundup of highlights from Day 1 of Commanders training camp.

ChatGPT ranks top 10 quarterbacks in Notre Dame history

Do you agree with these rankings?

No position in sports is more important than the quarterback. Notre Dame is lucky that it will have a good one this season in [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag]. Though his services only will be for one year, the potential for him to have a history-making season is high. With that will come high expectations.

But how will Hartman measure up to the great Notre Dame quarterbacks of the past? For that, let’s turn to AI writing tool ChatGPT and see what it believes is a fair list for the top 10 men under center to play for the Irish.

Keep in mind that ChatGPT has this disclaimer:

“Ranking the top 10 quarterbacks in Notre Dame history is subjective and open to interpretation, as different eras and playing styles contribute to individual greatness. However, based on their impact on the program, statistical achievements, and team success, the following list represents 10 notable quarterbacks in Notre Dame’s storied history.”

And this one:

“Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other talented quarterbacks who have contributed to the Notre Dame football legacy. The rankings can vary depending on personal opinions and criteria used to evaluate their performances.”

On that, here is the list with some entries edited for clarity and accuracy:

Commanders announce new preseason TV broadcasting trio

Two former players and a popular local broadcaster will call Washington’s preseason games in 2023.

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The Washington Commanders announced not only the pending sale of the team but a new broadcast team for the Commanders’ preseason games in 2023.

The new team will consist of Chick Hernandez, Brian Mitchell and Logan Paulsen. Hernandez will carry the play-by-play announcer duties with Mitchell and Paulsen providing analysis.

Hernandez has done play-by-play in the past during the preseason. He was once teamed with Joe Theismann as the analyst and former Washington running back Clinton Portis was on the sidelines.

No doubt, many Commanders fans will be glad to have Hernandez back in the fold. He is a local native; he is a diehard, and he exhibits passion and pleasure regarding the team. Perhaps most importantly, he has demonstrated his enthusiasm for the team for decades.

“I know Chick will be good at this and he and Brian Mitchell have a really good rapport, having worked together for years. Brian is now available with the NBCSW deal going away. Logan will be basically a second analyst from the sideline vs. just a reporter. He’s just too smart,” Julie Donaldson, Commanders senior vice president of media and content, told Commanders Wire.

It is my hope that both Paulsen and Mitchell will be able to continue to be objective and possess the freedom to not only praise the team when it is due but also offer honest criticism when it is also due. Both are no doubt, quite capable.

Most recently, the preseason broadcasts for the Commanders games were the 2022 trio of Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Rick “Doc” Walker (color commentator) and Paulsen (sideline reporter).