Tag: Notre Dame

Notre Dame website editor is a Troy Polamalu superfan

The editor of Fighting Irish Wire holds Troy Polamalu in the highest regard.

Some players are special. Some athletes have that “it factor” no one else can replicate or easily explain. Troy Polamalu is that player for a lot of football fans, including a Notre Dame website editor who does not easily warm to USC Trojans.

Fighting Irish Wire editor Nick Shepkowski recently talked to us. We wanted to ask him about USC’s Caleb Williams and how he is fitting in as a new member of the Chicago Bears. In the process of answering our questions about Caleb, Shepkowski volunteered that Troy Polamalu is one of his top five football players of all time. How’s that for some USC respect from a Notre Dame football editor?

Troy Polamalu — as we wrote years ago — “revolutionized the safety position. He made the Pro Bowl eight times, was an All-Pro four times, and won a pair of Super Bowls in the Steel City.” He did so with signature flair and style, enough to impress Golden Domers along the way. He is one of one, and this little revelation from Fighting Irish Wire’s editor confirms it.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Notre Dame alumnus Jackie Young extends contract with Las Vegas Aces

Nicely earned, Jackie.

Life couldn’t be better right now for Notre Dame alumnus and Las Vegas Aces guard [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag]. Not only has she been an All-Star the past two seasons, but she has won WNBA championships in both of those seasons. Plus, she’s gotten better with each passing year, and the Aces seem to agree that she will continue to play at a high level.

The Aces have signed Young to a contract extension. Here’s the official statements from general manager Natalie Williams:

“Jackie Young is a force to be reckoned with in the WNBA and one of the most dynamic shooting guards in the world. Signing Jackie to an extension through 2025 was absolutely a priority for us. Watching Jackie’s growth, I believe she could be vying for that MVP title this season.”

Young is coming off a season in which she averaged 17.6 points a game and was named Second Team All-WNBA. Aces fans will be eager to see how she can build off that both this season and next.

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

Arike Ogunbowale spoils Caitlin Clark’s WNBA preseason debut

Caitlin is the future, but Arike remains the present.

It being the preseason, this game won’t count for the WNBA records. But this game between the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever provided fans their first glance into Caitlin Clark’s professional career. Clark didn’t disappoint, leading all scorers with 21 points.

But [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] has become a star in her own right with the Wings since her days at Notre Dame. Irish fans know she’s no stranger to last-second heroics, and she demonstrated that at the end of this game. She broke a 76-all tie by hitting a stepback 3-pointer with three seconds left, giving the Wings a 79-76 win:

Ogunbowale was the Wings’ second-leading scorer in this game with 19 points. She is coming off her third straight All-Star season in which she averaged 21.7 points a game and career highs of 3.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals a game. She is entering her sixth season with the Wings, and it appears she’ll be playing at a high level again. Stay tuned.

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

No. 1 Notre Dame Dominates No. 5 Virginia, Heads to ACC Championship

Total domination!

It was over before the fans could even get comfortable in their seats Friday as the top-ranked Notre Dame lacrosse team dominated No. 5 Virginia in the ACC Tournament semi-finals.

In the 18-9 win, 14 different Notre Dame players scored goals.

Notre Dame started fast with a 6-1 first quarter lead and stretched the lead to 10-3 by the end of the first half.

Notre Dame’s foot remained in the gas out of the break, extending the lead to 14-4 in the third quarter.  That lead would stretch as the way to 17-5 at one point before Virginia scored a few goals late against the deeper part of Notre Dame’s bench.

Notre Dame heads to the ACC Championship game for the fourth-straight time where they’ll play Duke for the conference title.

Photos of Notre Dame alumnus Pat Connaughton in 2024 NBA playoffs

The season is over for Planet Pat.

For the second straight season, the Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs. That means Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] will have to wait at least another year to see if he can repeat the championship glory he did with the Bucks in 2021.

During the Bucks’ six-game first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers, for which they were without the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Connaughton averaged 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game. His best contest came when the Bucks held off elimination in Game 5, the second of two straight games missed by Damian Lillard. Connaughton had nine points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in over 31 minutes.

Connaughton is signed with the Bucks for next season and has a player option for the season after. He’ll hope his play in 2024-25 will be enough to have that option picked up. In the meantime, here are some photos from his play during his brief playoff stay this year:

Notre Dame’s Markus Burton not invited to NBA Draft Combine

Not really a surprise, but probably a bummer for him.

When he declared for the NBA draft, Notre Dame guard [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] made it clear he was retaining his college eligibility. The purpose, he indicated, was to see where he stood as a basketball player and take feedback from those who follow young players for a living.

It turns out Burton won’t get the opportunity to showcase his skills at this year’s NBA Draft Combine. The list of invitees has been released, and Burton is not there:

If you look at any mock draft for this year or even next year, you won’t find Burton anywhere. It’s clear that nobody thinks he’s ready to take the next step on his basketball journey. Tom Noie, the longtime Irish beat reporter for the South Bend Tribune, said it best on social media:

So what Burton likely sees as bad news is good news for Irish fans. He will stay with the Irish for at least another year and possibly two more. It’s time for him to build his legacy in South Bend.

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

Watch college-bound student pick Notre Dame on ‘Today’

Do you wish you had this pageantry when you made your college choice?

It’s always a big deal when a young athlete announces their college decision. They typically have cameras in their faces at an organized event, and fans everywhere are eager to see if that athlete will pick their school. The anticipation builds as much excitement as the decision itself.

But those who aren’t athletes typically don’t get the same level of attention when they make their college choices. That changed during Wednesday’s episode of NBC’s “Today” when three students got to announce their choices live on the air. One of them, Nebraska native Benjamin Robinette, told host Hoda Kotb that he will fulfill his desire not only to attend a Catholic school, but the one those of you who visit this site likely love the most:

It was great to see the Notre Dame Leprechaun there to help Robinette celebrate his decision and to hear the Victory March. It’s even better that he’ll be going to college as a cancer survivor. Here’s hoping he enjoys his time in South Bend.

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

See New Notre Dame Punter James Rendell Playing Australian Rules Football

Not your traditional punter…

When I sat down this evening to write a bit for Fighting Irish Wire I can’t say that I anticipated searching the internet for any and all information I could find on an Australian rules football player but here we are.

Thanks to Notre Dame landing new punter [autotag]James Rendell[/autotag] that is exactly what I’ve spent much of my evening doing.

Rendell will join the Fighting Irish for the 2024 season and checks in at 6-6, 225-pounds.  We discussed his commitment a bit earlier this evening but since I’ve been on the lookout for more on Rendell’s Australian rules football career.

Below you can see a good amount of the new Notre Dame punter playing football in the Land Down Under.

Notre Dame Football Lands Powerhouse Australian Punter

Notre Dame’s new, not-so-traditional punter

After [autotag]Bryce McFerson[/autotag] entered the transfer portal late in the spring practice session, Notre Dame football was without a punter.

That is until now – and the Fighting Irish appear to have landed a doozy of one.

6-6, 225-pound [autotag]James Rendell[/autotag] of Australia has accepted a scholarship to be Notre Dame’s next punter.

Rendell had been a commitment to Hawai’i but when Notre Dame learned about him they came in pursuit with special teams coordinator [autotag]Marty Biagi[/autotag] spending time recruiting him in Australia.

Rendell is the son of former Australian rules football star Matt Rendell.  The younger Rendell spent multiple seasons with the Frankston Football Club in the Victorian Football League.

Rendell started training for what he hoped would be a punting career by working with Prokick Australia who works with punters in trying to get them connected to punt for colleges in the United States.

Tory Taylor of Iowa who won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter last year and was just made a fourth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, is one of many collegiate punters to have trained at Prokick.

What is Notre Dame getting in Rendell?

In his own words he can punt a football up to 80 yards with a hangtime of 5.1 seconds.

Here’s to hoping Notre Dame doesn’t have to use his skills often in the coming years but that when he’s called upon that he performs.

[lawrence-related id=85737,84718]

Notre Dame Football – How Irish ‘Accidentally’ Recruited Eventual NFL Star

You’re my favorite mistake?

If you’re a Notre Dame fan of a certain age you can remember that there wasn’t a whole lot to love about the Bob Davie era, and as it turns out all these years later, perhaps that staff’s biggest recruiting win came by total mistake.

Justin Tuck was a star athlete in basketball and football at Central Coosa County High School in Alabama.  In an era long before online highlight tapes for college athletes, Tuck wasn’t yet being pursued by Notre Dame before they accidentally stumbled upon him.

The Notre Dame staff was in pursuit of another Alabama star prospect but as Tuck tells in the story below, they went to the wrong high school after landing in Alabama and stumbled into Tuck.

Tuck was on the “Like a Farmer” podcast and discussed a slew of things including competing against (and beating) Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, growing up with a huge family, and plenty else.

Tuck would of course go on to star at Notre Dame where he set program record for career sacks and was eventually drafted by the New York Giants where he turned into a key piece for two Super Bowl championship teams.

I’m guessing it wasn’t Bob Davie that was making the visit to Tuck that early on but I still can’t help but picture him sitting in bleachers at a high school stadium confused as can-be as to why the team isn’t wearing the right color uniforms.

[lawrence-related id=36553,64777,78172]