'08 IN OL Braxston Cave (Signed LOI to ND) - Page 14 - Notre Dame Football Discussion

**Axl Rose** · 08-13-2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoshenGipper

For whatever reason Scout knocked Braxton down to a three star.

Hmmmm, isn't he playing in Rivals all star game?

**Ultimate Penn St. hater** · 08-13-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Axl Rose

Hmmmm, isn't he playing in Rivals all star game?

Thats interesting.

GoshenGipper · 08-13-2007, 07:38 PM

I'm not sure if Rivals is having a game this year. I know ESPN/ABC is, and Scout/NBC has the AAA Game but those are the only two I've heard of so far.

Irishknight1023 · 08-13-2007, 08:11 PM

Cave is playing in the ESPN All American game.

**fuzzingwhizbee85** · 08-16-2007, 08:47 AM

An interesting article about Cav from Southbend Tribune - It mentions Goodman and others.

Making a name for himself
COMMENTARY

JASON KELLY

His first name comes from the fine print of Notre Dame football history. Braxston, as in Banks, an Irish running back around the time Kim Cave gave birth to her youngest son.

Not quite 18 years after his mother's inspiration at the 1989 Blue-Gold Game, Braxston Cave penciled his name into the all-time Notre Dame roster.

He will have to wait until national signing day Feb. 6 to put his commitment in ink, but the Penn High School center shows no signs of wavering.

How could he?

A recruit more cut out for Notre Dame would be difficult to find.

Along with the obscure, historical connection -- it's not like his mom named him Montana or Raghib -- Cave fits the modern image currently under construction.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, he has the physical prerequisites to be a lineman at the next level. Beyond the necessary size, he also has footwork reminiscent of a skill position player.

That developed from his childhood self-image as a quarterback or a running back, someone looking for holes in defenses instead of opening them.

"I never even thought of myself as being a little fat kid," Cave says.

Never little, never fat, but too big and too strong from the earliest days of his organized football career to play anywhere but the head-butting line of scrimmage.

Cave remembers when his stature led him to that realization once and for all.

"Around sixth grade, in Rocket Football, when I was one of the biggest kids on the field," Cave says. "They had weight limits, so I couldn't even touch the ball."

Some opponents probably wish the IHSAA would implement weight limits now, although Cave's greatest attribute might not be his size or the residual athleticism of his childhood ballcarrier ambitions.

All that weight and speed alone generate an imposing locomotive effect, but his demeanor fuels it all.

There is a nasty streak that comes out on the football field, a transformation from the laid-back practical joker who spends his free time on the passive pastime of fishing.

To Cave, it reflects the Penn football personality he grew up absorbing, combined with a little reinforcement at home.

"It kind of runs in my family too. My mom," Cave says with a chuckle. "She's just always real strict with me, and she's not afraid to lay it down."

Notre Dame noticed how well that translated to football, and how it might fit into the program's evolving attitude under Charlie Weis.

The first time he met Weis, who expressed his interest in recruiting Cave, the dominating center from Penn did not feel quite as intimidating as he does on the field.

"I was very nervous. He just kind of sat back with his arms crossed and talked," Cave says. "I just sat back and listened. I don't think I said a word."

Through much of his junior year, Cave did a lot of listening, not to mention a lot of reading as letters and text messages from college coaches cluttered the in-box of his mind.

Michigan, Florida and Iowa were among the most persistent suitors, along with Notre Dame. He developed a sort of recruiting radar to distinguish between a sales pitch and reality.

"I was going through a million text messages a week with coaches," Cave says, "everybody giving you their best line, the weather and all that kind of stuff."

Location often works against Notre Dame, but geography worked in its favor with Cave.

His mother, Kim, "the drill sergeant" -- her words -- has enough of a soft spot to be grateful he will stay so close to home.

Growing up around Notre Dame and going to football games also gave Cave a sense of familiarity with the program long before he became a part of it.

Beyond his namesake Braxston Banks, he identifies with another player of more recent vintage, a star by any football definition, but perhaps an unfamiliar name to all but the closest observers.

Jeff Faine, nasty personified, a center known to treat an official's whistle as a signal to hurry up and pancake that linebacker already.

"I form my game around Notre Dame's center Jeff Faine," Cave says, and the current coaching staff has encouraged that approach.

After doing his dutiful research, Cave made the decision that seemed preordained in March. He committed to Notre Dame after attending the football program's Junior Day, the third in a class that has ballooned to 19 already.

Fellow Irish-bound recruits like Sean Cwynar, Darius Fleming and John Goodman have stayed at Cave's house during trips to the area, the tight teammate bond forming early.

Coach-player relationships also have flourished after his early verbal commitment. Cave feels a particularly strong bond with Corwin Brown, the new defensive coordinator with a reputation as a recruiter extraordinaire.

Their conversations have none of the usual salesmanship since Cave's a "solid verbal," to borrow the language of recruiting. It's about prodding now, preparing Cave to become the player Notre Dame envisioned when it offered him a scholarship.

"Our goal," Cave says, "is for me to come in and be the nastiest center in the nation."

If that happens, a new generation of Notre Dame fans could be named after him.

South Bend Tribune: Making a name for himself

**irish4ever** · 08-16-2007, 09:19 AM

What a great attitude! He's got it together!

johnnd05 · 08-16-2007, 09:53 AM

Nice find - thanks!

08-13-2007, 07:38 PM	#94 (permalink)
GoshenGipper Rest In Peace Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Goshen, IN Posts: 8,212 Cash: 23,125.03 Bank: 1.00 Total Bankroll: 23,126.03 Donate	I'm not sure if Rivals is having a game this year. I know ESPN/ABC is, and Scout/NBC has the AAA Game but those are the only two I've heard of so far. __________________ Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army football team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds yesterday afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down on the bewildering panorama spread on the green plain below. - Grantland Rice 1924 Brown, ND's first-year defensive coordinator, played at Michigan."(Brown) said if he would have gotten offered by Notre Dame," Slaughter said, "he would have gone to Notre Dame." I like to quote myself - GoshenGipper

08-16-2007, 09:53 AM	#98 (permalink)
johnnd05 Johnny T. works for me Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Berkeley, Calif. Posts: 4,629 Cash: 20,227.47 Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 20,227.47 Donate	Nice find - thanks! __________________ Stoney is a dead man.

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08-13-2007, 08:11 PM	#95 (permalink)
Irishknight1023 LeBron James of VC Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,913 Cash: 3,030.78 Bank: 29,134.61 Total Bankroll: 32,165.39 Donate	Cave is playing in the ESPN All American game.

08-16-2007, 08:47 AM	#96 (permalink)
fuzzingwhizbee85 Waterboy Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Washington D.C. Posts: 37 Cash: 1,138.50 Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 1,138.50 Donate	An interesting article about Cav from Southbend Tribune - It mentions Goodman and others. Making a name for himself COMMENTARY JASON KELLY His first name comes from the fine print of Notre Dame football history. Braxston, as in Banks, an Irish running back around the time Kim Cave gave birth to her youngest son. Not quite 18 years after his mother's inspiration at the 1989 Blue-Gold Game, Braxston Cave penciled his name into the all-time Notre Dame roster. He will have to wait until national signing day Feb. 6 to put his commitment in ink, but the Penn High School center shows no signs of wavering. How could he? A recruit more cut out for Notre Dame would be difficult to find. Along with the obscure, historical connection -- it's not like his mom named him Montana or Raghib -- Cave fits the modern image currently under construction. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, he has the physical prerequisites to be a lineman at the next level. Beyond the necessary size, he also has footwork reminiscent of a skill position player. That developed from his childhood self-image as a quarterback or a running back, someone looking for holes in defenses instead of opening them. "I never even thought of myself as being a little fat kid," Cave says. Never little, never fat, but too big and too strong from the earliest days of his organized football career to play anywhere but the head-butting line of scrimmage. Cave remembers when his stature led him to that realization once and for all. "Around sixth grade, in Rocket Football, when I was one of the biggest kids on the field," Cave says. "They had weight limits, so I couldn't even touch the ball." Some opponents probably wish the IHSAA would implement weight limits now, although Cave's greatest attribute might not be his size or the residual athleticism of his childhood ballcarrier ambitions. All that weight and speed alone generate an imposing locomotive effect, but his demeanor fuels it all. There is a nasty streak that comes out on the football field, a transformation from the laid-back practical joker who spends his free time on the passive pastime of fishing. To Cave, it reflects the Penn football personality he grew up absorbing, combined with a little reinforcement at home. "It kind of runs in my family too. My mom," Cave says with a chuckle. "She's just always real strict with me, and she's not afraid to lay it down." Notre Dame noticed how well that translated to football, and how it might fit into the program's evolving attitude under Charlie Weis. The first time he met Weis, who expressed his interest in recruiting Cave, the dominating center from Penn did not feel quite as intimidating as he does on the field. "I was very nervous. He just kind of sat back with his arms crossed and talked," Cave says. "I just sat back and listened. I don't think I said a word." Through much of his junior year, Cave did a lot of listening, not to mention a lot of reading as letters and text messages from college coaches cluttered the in-box of his mind. Michigan, Florida and Iowa were among the most persistent suitors, along with Notre Dame. He developed a sort of recruiting radar to distinguish between a sales pitch and reality. "I was going through a million text messages a week with coaches," Cave says, "everybody giving you their best line, the weather and all that kind of stuff." Location often works against Notre Dame, but geography worked in its favor with Cave. His mother, Kim, "the drill sergeant" -- her words -- has enough of a soft spot to be grateful he will stay so close to home. Growing up around Notre Dame and going to football games also gave Cave a sense of familiarity with the program long before he became a part of it. Beyond his namesake Braxston Banks, he identifies with another player of more recent vintage, a star by any football definition, but perhaps an unfamiliar name to all but the closest observers. Jeff Faine, nasty personified, a center known to treat an official's whistle as a signal to hurry up and pancake that linebacker already. "I form my game around Notre Dame's center Jeff Faine," Cave says, and the current coaching staff has encouraged that approach. After doing his dutiful research, Cave made the decision that seemed preordained in March. He committed to Notre Dame after attending the football program's Junior Day, the third in a class that has ballooned to 19 already. Fellow Irish-bound recruits like Sean Cwynar, Darius Fleming and John Goodman have stayed at Cave's house during trips to the area, the tight teammate bond forming early. Coach-player relationships also have flourished after his early verbal commitment. Cave feels a particularly strong bond with Corwin Brown, the new defensive coordinator with a reputation as a recruiter extraordinaire. Their conversations have none of the usual salesmanship since Cave's a "solid verbal," to borrow the language of recruiting. It's about prodding now, preparing Cave to become the player Notre Dame envisioned when it offered him a scholarship. "Our goal," Cave says, "is for me to come in and be the nastiest center in the nation." If that happens, a new generation of Notre Dame fans could be named after him. South Bend Tribune: Making a name for himself

08-16-2007, 09:19 AM	#97 (permalink)
irish4ever Blue Chip Recruit Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 448 Cash: 2,364.34 Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 2,364.34 Donate	What a great attitude! He's got it together!

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