Tag: Josh Adams

NCAA Football Video Game Returns: Notre Dame Players We Missed Out On

Which Notre Dame player would have been the best to play with?

College football has its own cult-like following that makes it truly unique compared to any other American sport.  Even in that group there are sub-groups that are even that much more passionate.

One of those groups includes anyone who was ever a fan of the NCAA Football video game by EA Sports.

Personally, I can’t begin to estimate the total hours spent as a high school student in my parents house playing that game, the amount of hours I invested in it during college, or the hours I spent in my early-20’s with it.

However, it went away after the NCAA Football ’13 edition, meaning we’ve gone a full decade (2014-2023 seasons) now without the game.

So which players in that time did we especially miss playing with if we would have been playing as Notre Dame?

Here are the 11 we missed out in video game form the most.

Notre Dame’s top-rated running back recruits since 2000

What would happen if Notre Dame’s recruiting of the running back position could meet what it does on the offensive line?

Notre Dame has long been known for fielding a solid running game on an annual basis. [autotag]Jerome Bettis[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Watters[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Brooks[/autotag], [autotag]Ray Zellars[/autotag], [autotag]Autry Denson[/autotag] and [autotag]Allen Pinkett[/autotag] come to mind from yesteryear. Stars [autotag]Kyren Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Adams[/autotag] and [autotag]Theo Riddick[/autotag] wowed crowds over the last decade.

It’s been a long time however since Notre Dame has brought in what would be considered top-tier talent at the position with regularity. Sure, Adams, [autotag]Tony Jones, Jr[/autotag] and some others have earned NFL paychecks over the last decade, it’s been a long while since Notre Dame produced Julius Jones, the last Irish running back to be more than simply a role-playing back in the NFL. Perhaps Williams will change that with the Rams, but time will only tell.

So what has Notre Dame’s recruiting at running back looked like the last two-plus decades?

Here are the top 30 Notre Dame running back recruits since 2000 according to 247Sports. It is worth noting some of these players wound up changing positions once getting to South Bend.

Notre Dame football all-time single game rushing leaders

Who was the best of this bunch?

Notre Dame might not be known as “Running Back U” but that doesn’t mean the Fighting Irish haven’t had their fair share of elite runners over the years.  And those elite runners have had some pretty elite performances, but which Notre Dame running backs had the biggest days of all-time?

We’ve previously looked at the single game passing records for Notre Dame quarterbacks and found that throwing for a ton of yards often doesn’t mean good things for the team.  How does that compare to running the ball extremely well on a given Saturday?

Here are Notre Dame’s top 10 all-time single game rushing leaders.

Photos from last Notre Dame-USC game with both teams ranked

Do you remember this game?

When Notre Dame and USC are both ranked, the Irish have an all-time series lead, 17-14-2. Not counting Saturday’s meeting, that has happened only twice since 2007. One was in 2009, when an Irish fourth-quarter rally came up just short in a 34-27 loss. The most recent such occurrence before Saturday was in 2017, which was a 49-14 Irish victory to kick off the four-game winning streak that was brought into the 2022 contest.

[autotag]Josh Adams[/autotag] was the star of the show, running for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. [autotag]Brandon Wimbush[/autotag] threw two touchdown passes but also ran in for two scores himself while picking up 106 yards on the ground. [autotag]Te’von Coney[/autotag] paced the Irish’s defense with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Irish went on to win the Citrus Bowl over future Brian Kelly employer LSU, while the Trojans fell to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Perhaps this game was an omen of how both programs’ season would end. In any case, here are some memories of that night at Notre Dame Stadium:

Saints continue post-draft roster moves, release backup RB Josh Adams

Saints continue post-draft roster moves, release backup RB Josh Adams

Another member of the 2021 New Orleans Saints practice squad will be moving on elsewhere for 2022. The team released backup running back Josh Adams on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who signed with the Saints in Nov. 2021 as depth behind Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram II, Dwayne Washington, and Tony Jones Jr., all of whom returned for the coming season.

The Saints then added former Baylor running back Abram Smith as a rookie free agent, which crowded the depth chart. The team must feel Smith is a better option to compete with Jones for a roster spot and made the switch. Plus, the Saints technically had more players on the roster (96) than they were allowed by NFL rules (90) after adding 17 undrafted rookies and free agent Tyrann Mathieu, so some had to go. They already released defensive tackle Jalen Dalton and cornerback KeiVarae Russell, so this is a continuation of that process.

This shouldn’t preclude New Orleans from pursuing other options, though. They could use an impact player at the position with Kamara likely to be suspended six games following an arrest earlier this year. The Saints were linked to free agent back Sony Michel recently, but he ultimately signed with the Miami Dolphins instead. Maybe they’ll look into one of the other veterans still available.

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Saints sign RB Josh Adams to practice squad after tryout

Saints sign RB Josh Adams to practice squad after tryout

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The New Orleans Saints signed running back Josh Adams to their practice squad after a free agent tryout, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Adams was one of three running backs the Saints hosted for a group workout on Tuesday along with Detroit Lions 2018 draft pick Kerryon Johnson and former Carolina Panthers backup Rodney Smith.

Why the interest in running backs? Alvin Kamara briefly exited Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons to receive treatment in the blue medical trainer’s tent on the sidelines before returning, and we should learn more about what’s ailing him on Wednesday’s injury report. If he’s going to take on a lighter workload in the weeks ahead, it makes sense to add more depth.

And because the Saints have had a vacant spot available on their practice squad they can sign Adams without cutting anyone. But there are some moving parts involved after backup linebacker Chase Hansen was waived on Tuesday. He’s a candidate to return to the practice squad after the Saints recently activated him from injured reserve.

Here’s the updated Saints running backs depth chart (not counting Tony Jones Jr., who remains on injured reserve):

  • Alvin Kamara
  • Mark Ingram
  • Dwayne Washington
  • Lamar Miller (practice squad)
  • Josh Adams (practice squad)

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The Longest Runs in the History of Notre Dame Football

What is your favorite run in the long history of Notre Dame football?

Notre Dame has been playing football since 1887 and have had plenty of talented running backs and quarterbacks carry the ball in that time.  Since records began being kept, Notre Dame has had seven different players pull off a run of 90 yards or longer.

Oddly enough, five of those seven 90-plus yard runs have come in the last seven years.

So who holds the record for the longest runs in Notre Dame history?  Check out the answer to that question below and see the actual highlights of a few of the runs:

Travis Etienne feels he would fit ‘perfectly’ in Jets backfield

The Clemson running back likes the idea of playing in New York.

Clemson running back Travis Etienne is one of the most explosive players in the 2021 draft. He also thinks the Jets would be a great place to end up later this month because of his ability as a rusher and a pass-catcher.

“I feel like my game would fit perfectly [on the Jets],” Etienne told NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks on the “Move the Sticks” podcast. “I feel like if I’m there it’ll be a great situation ‘cause I feel like I’m a guy you can put in any offense and make the best out of it.”

Etienne isn’t wrong. He finished the 2019 season in the top five in yards per rush, total scrimmage yards and total touchdowns, and then finished 2020 sixth in scrimmage yards with 1,502. He tied for eighth with 16 total touchdowns. Etienne concluded his sensational four-year career with 7.8 yards per touch. 

Etienne’s talent would pair well with Mike LaFleur’s offense, which should be more run-heavy – much like Kyle Shanahan’s scheme in San Francisco. Etienne finished above the 80th percentile in forced missed tackles and yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranked third in yards per routes run with 2.26, according to Jets X-Factor.

The problem with Etienne is his blocking leaves a little bit to be desired. His PFF pass-blocking grade was 42.8. The Jets will need more blocking out of their running back, though it wouldn’t necessarily have to be Etienne that does it. The beauty of the 49ers-style offensive scheme is the number of running backs it inevitably requires. Raheem Mostert led the 49ers in pass blocking by a lot, while Jeff Wilson Jr. was the primary run blocker. 

Running back isn’t a major area of need for the Jets in this draft, though, so picking Etienne would be more of a luxury than a necessity. They already have La’Mical Perine, Ty Johnson, Josh Adams and Tevin Coleman on the roster. That doesn’t mean Joe Douglas wouldn’t grab Etienne if he fell, but the Jets have bigger holes to fill – namely, offensive line and cornerback – and likely wouldn’t use the 23rd, 34th or 66th pick on a running back when other positions need support.

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Jets re-signing RB Josh Adams to 1-year deal

Josh Adams is returning to the Jets in 2021.

Josh Adams is returning to the Jets in 2021.

According to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, the Jets are re-signing Adams to a one-year deal. Adams was a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Jets chose not to tender him.

Adams has been with the Jets since 2019 and has primarily been on the practice squad. He’s appeared in 11 games over two years and rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Adams also had 29 receiving yards.

Adams was signed as a free agent by the Eagles after going undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2018. He played in 14 games with five starts in his rookie season. Adams rushed for 511 yards, three touchdowns and had 58 receiving yards.

With Adams back in the fold, the Jets have four running backs on the roster. The other three are La’Mical Perine, Ty Johnson and Pete Guerriero.

Watch: Josh Adams Wants to Rebuild Childhood Park

It was a tough season for former Notre Dame running back Josh Adams and the New York Jets.

It was a tough season for former Notre Dame running back Josh Adams and the New York Jets. A 2-14 record won’t even be enough to land Trevor Lawrence in the NFL draft. But Adams is putting all of that behind him as he focuses on a cause more meaningful than winning football games. Adams, a native of Warrington, Pennsylvania, is hoping to raise money to rebuild the park he frequented while growing up:

Adams just finished his third season in the NFL and second with the Jets. In eight games, he ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 5.4 yards a carry. Those touchdowns came in his first and last games of the season. He played in the Jets’ first two contests, then was activated from the practice squad for their final six.

Adams suited up for the Irish from 2015 to 2017. During that time, he compiled 3,201 yards and scored 22 touchdowns, 20 of which came on the ground. Since 1956, his 6.7 yards a carry for his career are the most for any player with an independent program, besting that of 1961 Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis by the slimmest of margins.