Fasano Press Conference TODAY

LuckoftheIrish86

Well-known member
Messages
1,177
Reaction score
50
He is going, I don't think there would be a press conference if he was staying. I love Fasano but I think its good for the team and himself, gives an opportunity for Carlson and Reuland to develop
 

scooper

Cincy Bail Bonds
Messages
3,007
Reaction score
58
Yeah, I think he'll go. You're right. Why hold a press conference to stay? Good luck to him.
 

guff

Here for the Arcade
Messages
895
Reaction score
62
He's gone - I saw on the screen crawl on the four letter part 2. Couldn't find a web link yet.
 

jiggafini19

The Pope
Messages
7,370
Reaction score
58
I think Lewis, Davis (Bears) and Pope are all going first round. Fasano will be a 2 or 3 round pick.

But I think he goes Day One either way.

Here is one Mock Draft I've seen, ranking Tight Ends:

1. Vernon Davis*, Maryland
2. Marcedes Lewis, UCLA
3. Leonard Pope*, Georgia
4. Dominique Byrd, USC
5. Joe Klopfenstein, Colorado
6. Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame
7. Owen Daniels, Wisconsin
8. Tim Day, Oregon
9. David Thomas, Texas
10. Charles Davis, Purdue
 

jiggafini19

The Pope
Messages
7,370
Reaction score
58
Notre Dame's Anthony Fasano Elects To Enter 2006 NFL Draft
Senior tight end decides to forego possible fifth year with the Irish.
Jan. 9, 2006

University of Notre Dame senior tight end Anthony Fasano has decided to pass up his final year of eligibility and will make himself available for the 2006 National Football League Draft.

"After a lot of thought and consideration, I have decided to make myself eligible for selection in the upcoming NFL Draft and will not return to Notre Dame for a fifth season," Fasano said. "This was not an easy decision for me to make. I was fortunate to have some of the best people in football to help me make this decision. The coaching staff at Notre Dame did a great job preparing me for the NFL. Coach Weis, the coaching staff, my professors and teammates have been a very positive influence in my personal growth on and off the field. While this ends my Notre Dame playing career, I know I will remain a member of the Fighting Irish football family for many years to come."

Fasano, one of three finalists for the John Mackey Tight End Award in 2005, was third on the team with 47 catches for 576 yards (12.3-yard average) and two touchdowns in '05, the second-best single-season receptions total ever produced by a Notre Dame tight end (Ken MacAfee had 54 catches in 1977). Fasano was one of four recipients of the Nick Pietrosante Award in '05, given annually to players who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride shown by the late Irish All-America fullback. Fasano finished his Notre Dame career with 92 catches for 1,112 yards and eight touchdowns. For his career, he finished second on the career receptions list for tight ends (MacAfee leads with 128 from 1974-77) and ranks 11th on the overall Irish career receptions list. His 1,112 receiving yards ranks second by an Irish tight end (MacAfee had 1,759). Fasano is on track to graduate in May with a degree in Marketing from the Mendoza College of Business.

"Despite the fact that we'd love for Anthony to return, we also recognize that he has a great opportunity ahead of him," said Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis. "Anthony has been a great asset to the Notre Dame football program over the last four years and he's graduating this spring, leaving here with a Notre Dame degree. He's meant a lot to this program and is going to be missed both on and off the field. We wish him the best with this decision and in all of his future endeavors."

A native of Verona, NJ (Verona HS), Fasano played in 34 games for the Irish in his career with 24 starts, all over the span of the last three seasons. After not seeing action as a freshman in 2002, Fasano played in 11 games (starting three) and made 18 catches for 169 yards (9.4 avg.) and two touchdowns. As a junior in 2004, Fasano caught 27 passes for 367 yards (13.6 avg.) and four touchdowns. Fasano enjoyed the best statistical game of his career against Purdue in 2004, catching eight passes for 155 yards to set a Notre Dame single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end. His top statistical game in '05 was a seven-catch, 93-yard outing against Michigan State. His 43-yard touchdown reception against Tennessee represents the longest catch of his Irish career. Fasano had at least on reception in each of the last 20 games he play in a Notre Dame uniform, including all 12 games in '05.
 
B

bigdon

Guest
I just read Fasano's statement. Class act all the way. Best of luck to a great guy!
 
T

TexasDomer

Guest
Kid's going to graduate with a degree and go out. I wish him the best of luck.
 

Vince Young

New member
Messages
1,296
Reaction score
64
Hear, hear! Your degree is a formality at this point, Anthony. Go make buckets of money!
 

Irish Legend

New member
Messages
491
Reaction score
21
Notre Dame's Fasano to Enter NFL draft

Irish tight end will skip his senior season in South Bend

Jan. 9, 2006


SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Notre Dame's Anthony Fasano, one of the nation's outstanding tight ends, will enter the NFL draft and forgo his senior season.

"Being in this position is a lifelong dream of mine," he said Monday.

Fasano said he made up his mind after Ohio State beat the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl. Coach Charlie Weis missed Monday's news conference because he was out of town, but he supported Fasano's decision.

"Despite the fact we'd love for Anthony to return, we also recognize that he has a great opportunity ahead of him," Weis said in a statement.

Fasano was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, given to a top tight end. He is just four hours shy of receiving his marketing degree.

He was Notre Dame's third leading receiver in 2005 with 47 catches for 576 yards. The school record for tight ends is 54 catches for 797 yards set by Ken MacAfee in 1977.

In three seasons with the Irish, Fasano had 92 catches for 1,112 yards. MacAfee holds the career record at Notre Dame with 128 for 1,759 yards.

His best game this season was against Michigan State, when he had seven catches for 93 yards. He had four catches for 86 yards against USC. He also had a career-long 43-yard touchdown catch against Tennessee.
 

BGIF

Varsity Club
Messages
43,946
Reaction score
2,922
I'd prefer he had stayed. Best wishes to the gentleman from Verona.

Now back to ND football, Freeman gets a 5th year!
 

BGIF

Varsity Club
Messages
43,946
Reaction score
2,922
iloveirish_12 said:
So KR starts by the end of the year I bet.

Enjoy the dream but don't bet alot!

He should play but starting would mean a couple of injuries to Carlson, Freeman, and/or Hiben. Three older, stronger guys that all can block, catch passes, and most importantly have the system down.
 

jiggafini19

The Pope
Messages
7,370
Reaction score
58
Carlson will end up starting and having a tremendous year. Stovall, Shelton and Fasano are taking 126 receptions with them. I would count on John Carlson right now as opposed to Rhema McKnight.
 

Domer95

New member
Messages
624
Reaction score
35
jiggafini19 said:
Carlson will end up starting and having a tremendous year. Stovall, Shelton and Fasano are taking 126 receptions with them. I would count on John Carlson right now as opposed to Rhema McKnight.

Agreed Jigga. Remember Shelton's knee/mobility/SPEED (or lack there of) after his knee injury. He wasn't the same player. HOPEFULLY Rhema will be close to his normal self.
 

scooper

Cincy Bail Bonds
Messages
3,007
Reaction score
58
Carlson is now the man. He is every bit as athletic as Fasano, if not more.
 

LuckoftheIrish86

Well-known member
Messages
1,177
Reaction score
50
Domer95 said:
Agreed Jigga. Remember Shelton's knee/mobility/SPEED (or lack there of) after his knee injury. He wasn't the same player. HOPEFULLY Rhema will be close to his normal self.

I don't think Rhema's injury was as serious as Shelton's so hopefully he'll be back to his old self next year.
 

KMac151993

Well-known member
Messages
3,603
Reaction score
2,141
I think McKnight has recovered well from his enjoy and I think we can count on Carlson posting at least 30 grabs next fall. Rhema could explode just like Stovall did this year and post a similar season of 60 catches. I think the key guys are going to be either Hord or Grimes, one of those guys has to become a big time contributor with like 30 catches.
 

jiggafini19

The Pope
Messages
7,370
Reaction score
58
Opportunity Wide Open For Hord and Grimes
Pete Sampson

David Grimes won't complicate the issue.

The rookie wide receiver's excitement about next season has little to do with the departures of Maurice Stovall or Matt Shelton. Grimes knows expanded opportunity will come, but what intrigues him most about his sophomore year doesn't revolve around receptions, yardage or touchdowns. He's more interested in the guy throwing him the ball.

That's quarterback Brady Quinn, who's on every Heisman Trophy voter's short list and every NFL general manager's draft board for next season. Grimes, along with classmate D.J. Hord, want to say they caught a few more passes from Quinn before the quarterback moves on to bigger and richer things.

"That will be real cool," said Grimes, who made two grabs this season.

Notre Dame could use that added flexibility in the passing game, which loses Stovall and Shelton but adds Rhema McKnight after the senior took a medical red shirt following a season-ending knee injury at Michigan.

Grimes played from the season-opener on this year while Hord played sparingly, cracking the special teams rotation on kick returns until the season's seventh game.

With some extra off-season development both Grimes and Hord could vie for the passing game's No. 3 and No. 4 spots in 2006, positions typically void in game plans this season. Shelton, who set the Notre Dame record for average yards per reception in 2004, ended the year with 28 catches for 329 yards and no touchdowns.

Notre Dame rarely employed three receiver sets and almost never called for four-wide formations, usually when Grimes got onto the field. Charlie Weis' willingness or reluctance to go four-wide next season will reveal just how much Grimes and Hord developed between now and Notre Dame's season-opener on Sept. 2 at Georgia Tech.

Both Grimes and Hord said the hardest lesson of 2005 was learning the patience required to grasp Notre Dame's offense from the sidelines when each wanted to jump into the rotation. That education proved particularly painful for Hord, who came from a run-first offense in high school and knew his assimilation into a college passing game would be a rocky one.

"I was still conscious of that because I came in as a raw talent," Hord said. "I really didn't know that much as a wide receiver. In high school it was mainly run deep and they'll throw it to you. I had to learn how to run routes, get releases, read coverages in a defense; I had no experience in doing that. I knew coming in it would be a struggle."

Hord finally cracked the lineup against Brigham Young on Oct. 22 and said he knew the coaches wouldn't keep him on the sidelines all season. He didn't make a catch in six games played but returned seven kickoffs for a 17.6-yard average.

"It was kind of hard," Hord said. "You get down a lot. You sit there wondering why you didn't get in. You can't question, you have to go out there and practice harder and harder to prove to the coaches that you should be in there playing."

Notre Dame's winter workouts start next week, giving both freshman wide outs a chance to prove they did more than sit on the sidelines during Irish preparations for the Fiesta Bowl. The run-up to Notre Dame's showdown with Ohio State gave each a chance to hone their techniques as much as prep for the Buckeyes, and both hope that extra personal attentions shows itself in team workouts and then later in spring practice.

"We have big shoes to fill with Mo and Matt leaving, but I think I'm up to the challenge," Grimes said. "We were underdogs. They rated our class low, but we took that and ran with it. We took that as motivation to get better."
 

jiggafini19

The Pope
Messages
7,370
Reaction score
58
KMac151993 said:
I think the key guys are going to be either Hord or Grimes, one of those guys has to become a big time contributor with like 30 catches.

Nice work KMac.

Richard Jackson could enter into the mix if he does well in summer practice. He's probaby the most physically ready of the incoming WR to get on the field.
 

scooper

Cincy Bail Bonds
Messages
3,007
Reaction score
58
I believe I saw Rhema in some of the practice photos from Tempe. If he was working out with the team last month, that's a good sign.
 
Top