NFL Update -- Notre Dame Players

The 2010 NFL Season is winding down -- so, the ND GO IRISH BLOG decided to take a "lap" around the League and see how a few of our favorite Notre Dame football players are doing.  You'll note a number of season ending injuries to a few former Notre Dame stars -- two this weekend!  It's a good thing they have that Notre Dame degree!!!

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- CAROLINA PANTHERS

LINK:  JUSTIN TUCK -- NEW YORK GIANTS

LINK:  KYLE McCARTHY -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  BRADY QUINN -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  CHINENDUM NDUKWE -- CINCINNATI BENGALS

LINK:  JOHN CARLSON -- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE -- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

LINK:  RYAN GRANT -- GREEN BAY PACKERS

LINK:  SERGIO BROWN -- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

LINK:  DAVID BRUTON -- DENVER BRONCOS 

LINK:  ANTHONY FASANO -- MIAMI DOLPHINS

LINK:  JULIUS JONES -- NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

LINK:  JEFF FAINE -- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

LINK:  DEREK LANDRI -- CAROLINA PANTHERS

LINK:  RYAN HARRIS -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  JOHN SULLIVAN -- MINNESOTA VIKINGS

LINK:  TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI -- BALTIMORE RAVENS

LINK:  MAURICE STOVALL -- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

LINK:  VICTOR ABIAMIRI -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  MARK LEVOIR -- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

LINK:  TREVOR LAWS -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  COREY MAYS -- KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

LINK:  JORDAN BLACK -- HOUSTON TEXANS

LINK:  HUNTER SMITH -- WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Teo and Ruffer -- Second Team All Americans!

The University of Notre Dame's Manti Teo and David Ruffer were named today to SI.COM's All American 2nd Team!  Congratulations!  Here's a link:

LINK:  SI.COM -- ALL AMERICANS

Theismann Talks Notre Dame QB's

Former Notre Dame All-American QB, Joe Theismann -- spoke with the South Bend Tribune's Eric Hansen about the QB position next year for the Irish.  Never without an opinion -- Theismann talks about Dayne Crist coming back from his knee injury, Rees and his experience -- and the QB position in general at Notre Dame.  Here's a link to the South Bend Tribune story:

LINK:  WHO STARTS AT QB NEXT YEAR FOR THE IRISH?

Two "Domers" -- The Million Dollar Road Trip

Two Notre Dame brothers/alums; Patrick and Walter Hessert -- are now on DAY 163 of The Million Dollar Road Trip, celebrating and inspiring the American entrepreneurial spirit.  To date, they've raised over $114,000 in their travels across America!!!  The ND GO IRISH BLOG last checked in on these two when they were in NYC for Notre Dame's game at Yankee Stadium -- as you'll see, they just left Las Vegas and their next stop is Flagstaff, AZ.  Safe travels!!!  Here's a link to their blog:

LINK:  THE MILLION DOLLAR ROAD TRIP -- BLOG

Notre Dame to Honor Austin Carr!

It's about time...  If you're going to have a 'Ring of Honor' in Notre Dame's Purcell Pavillion -- to recognize Irish basketball stars -- the VERY FIRST player honored should have been Austin Carr.  Well,  on February 26th -- Austin Carr will finally get that recognition, as he'll join Luke Harangody and Ruth Riley in Notre Dame's Ring of Honor.

Austin Carr is the greatest basketball player in the history of the University of Notre Dame -- PERIOD!  Take a look at what he accomplished wearing the uniform of the Fighting Irish:

• 2,560 career points -- in just 3 seasons -- at the time, the fifth-all time in college history and Notre Dame's all-time scoring leader
• a 34.5 career scoring average at Notre Dame
• during his last two seasons at Notre Dame, Carr scored more than 1,000 points in both seasons -- joining Pete Maravich as the second player in college basketball history to accomplish this
• holds the single game scoring record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game;  61 points, and most field goals scored in a game; 25 -- folks this was before the 3-point line!
• holds the career scoring average record -- for the NCAA Tournament -- averaging 41.3 points a game in the seven games he played -- a record most experts believe will never be broken!
• named National Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in his senior season
• ESPN named him one of the Top 25 College Basketball Players of All Time!
• Inducted into the second class of the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007

Austin was the #1 overall selection in the 1971 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.  He played ten years in the NBA -- and even though he had severe foot and knee injuries that required surgeries, he averaged 15.4 points per game.  The Cleveland Cavaliers retired Carr's #34 jersey -- one of six they've retired in their history.  Affectionately known in Cleveland as "Mr. Cavalier" - Austin is currently the color analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers television broadcast, serving alongside my good friend Fred McLeod.  Congratulations Austin!!!  A ND GO IRISH BLOG 'thank you' to Dr. Jim Clancy for alerting us to this story.  Here's a link to a video of Carr "starring" in a music video for the Cavaliers, when LeBron was still in town...

LINK:  AUSTIN CARR IN MUSIC VIDEO