Plenty of guys saw TW as a father figure, a man of integrity and principle. I think they respect Weis in many of the same ways, many respect him in completely different ways. I'm sure they learned things from TW as well in those years with him. I'm sure they've learned a lot from CW in the year plus since after he won that last Super Bowl and jumped into what looked like a bleak situation.
You respect your coach. Whether he's running a wide open pro style offense or West Coast offense, you do as you're told and to the best of your ability. Listen, do as you're told and conduct yourself like a man and decent human being.
A football team is a family. The locker room is your home. Everyone stands together for everyone else. Not everyone gets along, but you respect one another and do your job. Pick up yourself and the man next to you. Look yourself and everyone else in the eye and have the ability to be honest with anyone. No one should say anything to the press about TW, Weis or any other coach. When Jeff Samardzija writes his autobiography, he can say anything he wants. What goes on in that house stays in house.
The two men are totally different people. I don't think either one is a bad person especially compared to the dirtbags at some other schools. I consider TW to be a good man. I don't think he would ever stoop to the slimey sewer snake like depths of Jackie Sherrill or Pete Carroll or Dennis Erickson. He might not win like those guys, but he's not a cheating turd like them either.
Once this group of seniors graduates and the 5th year guys of 2007 are gone, that should really be about it as far as anyone still around that would be a major cog in the TW recruitng era at ND. At that point, there really shouldn't be much more to say. The Ty apologists and haters can all go back to being ND fans in 2008 and I can finally get rid of this headache.
