Linebackers

[johnnd05]

This thread is devoted to news and views concerning the ND linebacking corps for the '07-08 season.

I'll start with an article on Vernaglia from the SB Trib:

ND's Vernaglia re-invents himself

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- The whispers became a chorus, the knock became a reputation, and suddenly Anthony Vernaglia found himself trying to run away from it all and re-invent himself as an offensive player.

That is why Friday, the first day in full pads this fall for the Notre Dame football team, meant more to the senior outside linebacker than anyone else.

"The knock on me has always been that I'm not physical," Vernaglia said, "that I'm this little, finesse pretty boy from California, that I can't play linebacker. Well today, I get my fresh start."

The 6-foot-3 Vernaglia said turning the page was made easier by a change in scheme, a change at defensive coordinator and a change in strength/heft. He beefed up from 222 pounds to 239, in part by making the weight room a second home and in part because his father Kip -- a former Penn State receiver -- wouldn't let him leave the dinner table without permission.

"With the previous staff, once I made an impression, it kind of stuck with me," he said.

And with good reason, Vernaglia believed the "too soft" label, too. "There was no denying it," he said. "I watched film every day."

He still watches it, but what he sees now is quite different.

"I don't know if you can acquire a taste for hitting," Vernaglia said. "Two people running into each other isn't exactly a natural act. But once you do it and you see yourself on film owning somebody, you like it. It looks cool. You're like, 'Wow, I dominated that kid. I want to do it again.' "

First-year defensive coordinator Corwin Brown wants to make certain of it.

Brown tried to recruit Vernaglia out of Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif., to Virginia when Brown was an assistant there, and Brown made mention last spring he was going to expect big things out of Vernaglia.

But it's not just raising the bar, it's the way Brown teaches, throwing his own playing experience into the mix when he can. Brown didn't fit the template of an NFL defensive back with a long career. In fact, he was a stretch for the "measurables" (height, weight, 40 speed) required at the University of Michigan.

His tenacity and work ethic showed him that the boxes pro scouts and college recruiters sometimes stick kids in limit how good teams can be.

"It really doesn't matter how big you are," Brown said. "It really doesn't matter how fast you are. What matters is when you're put in a position to make plays, can you make them?"

The switch to 3-4 personnel was the first step in putting Vernaglia in position to make plays.

"I like playing a lot more in space than I had previously," he said.

Brown didn't show the Irish tape of other teams running the 3-4. He taught it on the board and instead showed them films of vicious, aggressive hitting.

"We watched (Baltimore Ravens linebacker) Ray Lewis hitting people the other day and then a Jets linebacker pulverizing a fullback," Vernaglia said. "I really like his teaching style. The cool thing about being in a meeting with (Brown) is that it's more like a conversation than a lecture. He'll put examples up on the board, and ask you to run through them, ask you questions about it, what you think about it. It's nice, the two-people thing rather than the one-person speech.

"Where he really began to win us over, though, was when his stuff started working in practice this spring. When what we talked about in meetings actually happened on the field the way he said it would, I was like 'Wow, maybe there's something behind this.' "

And now Vernaglia wants to prove there's something behind simply his hopes of being able to bring a physical dimension to his game. He wants to be more than a guy who was supposed to be good.

"It's always great to have potential," Vernaglia said. "But the next step is utilizing your potential. That's where I want to be. I just don't want to have potential. I want to be a player."

 

[johnnd05]

I guess this is a few days old, but ...

Published: August 9, 2007 6:00 a.m.
Irish defense new test for linebackers

By Michael Rothstein
The Journal Gazette

SOUTH BEND – They discuss their younger years now, days on the scout team stuck behind mammoth linemen, barely able to see what was going on.

It was learning back then, but Joe Brockington and Maurice Crum Jr. figured they would play together in games at some point.

It happened with nine games remaining in 2006, and it felt like the pre-Charlie Weis days – at least with friends playing on the field together again.

Now, it is this. Brockington returned for his fifth year. Crum is now a senior. And the two are projected to be key players at the two inside linebacker slots of Corwin Brown’s new 3-4 defense. He is the third defensive coordinator they’ve had during their time at Notre Dame.

For Crum, it is the captain’s third move in as many years. As a sophomore, he started at the then-Apache linebacker position. Last year, he was the middle linebacker in the 4-3. This year, he’s got help on the inside.

Brockington spent his whole pre-Notre Dame career inside. Then, he spent the past four seasons working on the outside, including starting the last nine games of 2006. But now, he’s moving in.

“It helps playing the middle,” Brockington said. “You can play both sides of the field and you can make more tackles.”

Crum led Notre Dame with 100 tackles last year, and Brockington, despite starting only nine games, finished sixth with 59.

Plus, the chemistry between the two is already there, as Mo-Joe even joke about now. It is the communication they share that helps them now as they work to understand Brown’s system.

And they are adding at least a third person to their party.

Sophomore Toryan Smith said Wednesday he figures he’ll join at least the two of them in a rotation to keep bodies fresh. It also will help the Rome, Ga., native see the field after a freshman year he deemed somewhat frustrating because he played defense only at the end of blowouts. Smith and Brockington are competing for the inside linebacker slot next to Crum.

But even Smith recognizes the chemistry Crum and Brockington display.

“They’ve been here for three years before I gone been here,” Smith said. “They do their thing before I was even being recruited.”

Playing in a rotation with Crum, Brockington and perhaps Steve Quinn and Scott Smith will help all of them adapt to one another faster. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis singled out Scott Smith as someone who is forcing coaches to look at him because of his versatility. Weis said Scott Smith can play any of the four linebacker slots.

Both Toryan Smith and Brockington stressed they need to work on the mental aspects of the game more than the physical. Part of that comes with the new system, something Brockington has been studying by watching tape of the spring game, of practice and even of upcoming opponents since the Monday after his graduation from Notre Dame in May. Brockington didn’t travel home to Palmyra, Pa., this year, instead staying behind the entire summer to work out and get in better shape.

Toryan Smith said his freshman year, where the grind of a football season took time to adjust to, helped him learn and prepare better for this year.

“It can become stressful every day,” Toryan Smith said. “It seems like we have 100 days of camp.”

But right now, camp is important. It is helping smooth the adjustment for the future, when Toryan Smith will be one of the leaders of the defense.

Weis, though, isn’t certain which linebacker will hold the “Mike” position, which is the one left vulnerable to hits from an offensive guard. The other inside linebacker is able to be hidden more, allowing him to rush to the ball.

“You have to be stout,” Weis said of the “Mike” position. “You look at all those teams that play 3-4 defenses in the NFL, almost all of them have middle linebackers who can run right through those type of guys. We have a few candidates who do that pretty well.”

The “Mike,” though, won’t necessarily be in charge of defensive calls. That, Weis said, will fall to whoever is the more experienced of the two inside linebackers on the field.

More than likely, that means it’ll be either “Mo” or “Joe,” as the two most experienced guys in the linebacker corps.

 

[johnnd05]

And another article on Vernaglia:

August 11, 2007
Stardom Or...Bust

by RYAN O'LEARY
Assistant Editor

For three years now, Anthony Vernaglia has served as a poster child for the fallibility of recruiting rankings. The most highly-touted member of Notre Dame’s 2004 signing class, Vernaglia made a whopping one tackle as a junior, ranking him two below punter Geoff Price and tying him with three kickers and three wide receivers.

Needless to say, the same fans who drooled upon his arrival now view the 6-foot-3, 239-pounder as a bust – and Vernaglia has heard just about enough of it.

“The knock on me has always been that I’m not physical,” he said. “Just a little finesse pretty-boy from California, and I can’t actually play linebacker.”

Under former defensive coordinator Rick Minter, Vernaglia seemed to earn that reputation, and playing time was scarce. It appeared that he’d finish his collegiate career just eating roster space, a waste of a perfectly good scholarship.

Enter Corwin Brown.

The new overlord of the Notre Dame defense had recruited Vernaglia while he was an assistant at the University of Virginia, and he knew that the talent was there. With Brown in place, Vernaglia finally had a chance to shed the labels that he was branded with during his first three seasons.

“With the previous staff...once I had made an impression, it kind of stuck with me for the duration,” he said. “Now, I can kind of shed that and be whoever I want to be to start this next year off, so I’ve been trying to make that person the best person I can be.”

A huge part of becoming that person was becoming more physical – proving to the coaches that he’s more than just an overgrown safety. At one point in his career, Vernaglia was so bummed out about his play that he thought he might be better suited for offense...but those ideas went out the window when Brown arrived.

A new scheme and a second chance are nice, sure, but how does a so-called “finesse” player get over the hurdle and develop a zest for hammering people?

“Two people running full-speed into each other isn’t exactly a natural thing,” Vernaglia admitted. “But you do it, and you see yourself on film owning somebody, and you like it. It looks cool, and you’re like, ‘Wow, I just dominated that kid. I want to do it again.’ ”

Of course, hearing the criticisms ad nauseam might have also had something to do with Vernaglia’s attempt at a rebirth.

“It was a decision,” he stated. “I was tired of people saying, ‘This kid’s soft, he’s weak. Maybe he can run fast, but he can’t hit anybody, so he doesn’t matter.’ I got sick of it.”

Flashes of the new Vernaglia showed in the Blue-Gold Game, where he notched eight tackles – nearly double his career total – and a sack. Almost overnight, he’s gone from being an afterthought to being that guy with the big-time potential all over again.

Still, Vernaglia knows he’s got plenty left to prove.

“I love that people are saying I have potential now and that I’m not just a bust,” he said. “I just want to make sure that people don’t keep saying I have potential. I want to get to the level where, okay, now he isn’t potential. Now he can play.”

Irish fans are hoping right along with him.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Great articles. Thanks

 

[johnnd05]

This is a few days old, I guess:

Published: August 9, 2007 6:00 a.m.
Irish defense new test for linebackers

By Michael Rothstein
The Journal Gazette

SOUTH BEND – They discuss their younger years now, days on the scout team stuck behind mammoth linemen, barely able to see what was going on.

It was learning back then, but Joe Brockington and Maurice Crum Jr. figured they would play together in games at some point.

It happened with nine games remaining in 2006, and it felt like the pre-Charlie Weis days – at least with friends playing on the field together again.

Now, it is this. Brockington returned for his fifth year. Crum is now a senior. And the two are projected to be key players at the two inside linebacker slots of Corwin Brown’s new 3-4 defense. He is the third defensive coordinator they’ve had during their time at Notre Dame.

For Crum, it is the captain’s third move in as many years. As a sophomore, he started at the then-Apache linebacker position. Last year, he was the middle linebacker in the 4-3. This year, he’s got help on the inside.

Brockington spent his whole pre-Notre Dame career inside. Then, he spent the past four seasons working on the outside, including starting the last nine games of 2006. But now, he’s moving in.

“It helps playing the middle,” Brockington said. “You can play both sides of the field and you can make more tackles.”

Crum led Notre Dame with 100 tackles last year, and Brockington, despite starting only nine games, finished sixth with 59.

Plus, the chemistry between the two is already there, as Mo-Joe even joke about now. It is the communication they share that helps them now as they work to understand Brown’s system.

And they are adding at least a third person to their party.

Sophomore Toryan Smith said Wednesday he figures he’ll join at least the two of them in a rotation to keep bodies fresh. It also will help the Rome, Ga., native see the field after a freshman year he deemed somewhat frustrating because he played defense only at the end of blowouts. Smith and Brockington are competing for the inside linebacker slot next to Crum.

But even Smith recognizes the chemistry Crum and Brockington display.

“They’ve been here for three years before I gone been here,” Smith said. “They do their thing before I was even being recruited.”

Playing in a rotation with Crum, Brockington and perhaps Steve Quinn and Scott Smith will help all of them adapt to one another faster. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis singled out Scott Smith as someone who is forcing coaches to look at him because of his versatility. Weis said Scott Smith can play any of the four linebacker slots.

Both Toryan Smith and Brockington stressed they need to work on the mental aspects of the game more than the physical. Part of that comes with the new system, something Brockington has been studying by watching tape of the spring game, of practice and even of upcoming opponents since the Monday after his graduation from Notre Dame in May. Brockington didn’t travel home to Palmyra, Pa., this year, instead staying behind the entire summer to work out and get in better shape.

Toryan Smith said his freshman year, where the grind of a football season took time to adjust to, helped him learn and prepare better for this year.

“It can become stressful every day,” Toryan Smith said. “It seems like we have 100 days of camp.”

But right now, camp is important. It is helping smooth the adjustment for the future, when Toryan Smith will be one of the leaders of the defense.

Weis, though, isn’t certain which linebacker will hold the “Mike” position, which is the one left vulnerable to hits from an offensive guard. The other inside linebacker is able to be hidden more, allowing him to rush to the ball.

“You have to be stout,” Weis said of the “Mike” position. “You look at all those teams that play 3-4 defenses in the NFL, almost all of them have middle linebackers who can run right through those type of guys. We have a few candidates who do that pretty well.”

The “Mike,” though, won’t necessarily be in charge of defensive calls. That, Weis said, will fall to whoever is the more experienced of the two inside linebackers on the field.

More than likely, that means it’ll be either “Mo” or “Joe,” as the two most experienced guys in the linebacker corps.

 

[johnnd05]

From B&G:

Brian Smith and Kerry Neal have certainly caught the attention of the Irish coaching staff and both figure to have a shot at seeing the field in 2007. Each has the size coveted by coaches of the 3-4 personnel, but strength could be an issue for both, as college strength and speed are quite difficult to adjust to for all freshmen.

Can you believe we almost passed up on Smith?

 

[tgolden]

for all the recruiting hype and rankings, you never know who's really gonna be good.

 

[johnnd05]

August 16. 2007 6:59AM

End-zone dances give way to hits
Notre Dame's Toryan Smith has emerged as a force on the Irish defense.

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Toryan Smith wanted to work on his touchdown dance. His father had other ideas.

Smith, now a sophomore linebacker at Notre Dame, was plugged into the offensive and defensive lines as a youth football player, at the request of his father, a former lineman himself.

"I hated it -- bad," the Rome, Ga., product said. "But I think he was right, as I look back at it. It taught me discipline and how to be a team player. And it made me aggressive. It's why I like to hit so much now."

That attitude should come in handy Sept. 1, when the Irish open the season at Notre Dame Stadium against Georgia Tech. Even the Yellow Jackets' quarterback apparently is a physical force to be reckoned with.

After the last play of a full-pads scrimmage Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia Tech starting QB Taylor Bennett threw 6-foot-5, 245-pound senior defensive end Darrell Robertson to the ground. Bennett, a 6-3, 215-pound junior, expressed frustration over being blocked on an interception return when he was off-limits to contact. Roughly 15-20 Tech players reportedly joined in the short confrontation.

Smith, himself, was confrontational enough and physical enough to get on the field last season as a freshman, but he mostly played in slow motion.

"I was thinking too much last year," said Smith, a 6-1, 245-pounder pushing incumbent Joe Brockington for a starting berth this fall. "I was reacting too slow. When you're thinking a lot, you tend to play slower.

"So this offseason, I really worked on the mental part of the game. I familiarized myself with the system, watched some cut-ups of (former Ohio State All-America linebacker) A.J. Hawk. I watched (ND teammate) Mo Crum, too. I wanted to see what the best guys were doing. I wanted to translate my game through that. I feel like I know what I'm doing now. I feel like I have a big head start."

Toryan is grateful now for the head start his father, Charles, tried to give him back in the day. Charles was an offensive guard on Georgia's 1980 national championship team that completed its title run with a 17-10 triumph over ND in the Sugar Bowl.

"He blocked for Herschel Walker, so he's got some great stories about that," the younger Smith said. "I looked at Georgia coming out of high school, but I really wanted to walk in my own footsteps. And coming to Notre Dame was a great way to do that."

And now he's trying to step his way to the top of the depth chart. Most likely, he'll be in a rotation at inside linebacker with Crum and Brockington.

"Whether you're out there on the first play, it doesn't matter," Irish defensive coordinator Corwin Brown said. "As long as when you're called upon, you make plays.

"He's a physical guy. He plays the game like I envision it being played."

 

[NDboy15]

Nice articles.

 

[Kauz]

thanks for posting those

 

[johnnd05]

Sure thing guys. I thought the Toryan Smith article was especially cool - I didn't know his dad had played against ND>

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I liked the Smith article too. I think our linebackers will be one of our strengths this year.

 

[johnnd05]

Irish linebackers look to Crum for leadership

Posted: 12:31 AM Aug 16, 2007
Reporter: Angelo Di Carlo

As the Irish near its first game of the season against Georgia Tech on September 1st, the team continues to learn more and more about its new 3-4 defense.

At linebacker, Maurice Crum will lead the way. The senior had a team-best 100 tackles last season. He provides a ton of insight for the linebackers surrounding him, many of whom will be seeing extended playing time for the first time in their careers.

"We're getting closer together and there is comfort level there," Crum explains.

"We know where each other will be and we know each other's voices," Crum continued. "We're all real comfortable with each other."

One of the players making an adjustment this season is sophomore John Ryan. In 2006, Ryan played sparringly on the defensive line. In the new 3-4 defense, he is being positioned as a starter at outside linebacker, next to Crum.

"Mo is a great leader," Ryan says. "He definitely helps me out a lot."

"He keeps everyone's energy up," the sophomore continues. "Our attitude is reflective of his leadership. Guys like him and Joe (Brockington) are instrumental in the leaderships of the linebackers."

Senior Joe Brockington and sophomore Toryan Smith are battling for the other inside linebacker position next to Crum.

Meanwhile, senior Anthony Vernaglia is the leading contender for the 2nd outside linebacker position.

 

[OCIrish]

I, too, enjoyed the Smith article. He's probably excited me the most in terms of wanting to see someone see the field and expecting big things from. He's a big hitter, who, I feel brings the right attitude for the LB position. I think if others' feed off of some of his intensity, our D is going to hurt some people this year. Thanks for the articles John, keep em coming!!

 

[KamaraPolice]

If we can limit big plays, those linebackers are going to put some big hits on people and wear them down. A game of attrition will be a game we can win.

 

[johnnd05]

Polian talks 'backers

Posted: August 18, 2007 01:59 PM

If you watched a Notre Dame game last fall and the linebackers looked gassed by the fourth quarter ... you were right. Brian Polian, who is coaching the Irish inside linebackers this season, noticed it too.

“You saw it take physical tolls on guys, where you just couldn’t afford to get them off the field and they were playing every play," Polian said this morning at The Gug.

That should change this season, because Notre Dame has much-improved depth at the position, especially at the two inside spots.

Maurice Crum Jr. and Joe Brockington, who were starters last season, and Toryan Smith (who will be featured in my story in Sunday's Truth) will all play the inside spots this year. Scott Smith is being cross-trained to play both inside and outside, though he may be needed more outside.

“In my experience, it’s the best depth we’ve had at linebacker, where you would be able to trust multiple guys in the game, know that physically they can hold up and mentally they’re going to know what to do," Polian said. "So that is a luxury that we have now that we did not have in the first two years that we’ve been here.”

Depth is especially important at inside linebacker because it's such a physical position. In the 3-4 defense, offensive guards don't have anyone to block up front and, consequently get to tee off on the inside linebackers, who are usually giving up quite a bit of weight. So the inside linebackers, specifically the 'Mike' linebackers (Crum and Smith), are going to be taking some punishment.

The more guys to take those shots, then, the better.

"To have multiple guys be able to play that position is going to help us," Polian said. "To say that we’re only going to play two linebackers inside this year, I don’t think that’s a fair statement. I think we’re going to have to play multiple people, which is fine. That’s an advantage that we’re able to do that."

Polian said the coaching staff is still about a week away from determining how the rotation at inside linebacker will actually work in the games — percentages of snaps, etc. — but he knows a four-man rotation is going to help his linebackers hold up better in the fall.

I'll be back in an hour or so with Saturday's 20 minutes.

 

[johnnd05]

Ryan fights to stick with starters

By Pete Sampson, IrishIllustrated.com Editor – Rivals.com

Apparently Corwin Brown needs to do a little research.

When asked on Friday how John Ryan had elevated himself into the starting lineup, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator expressed surprise at his own depth chart, the one that lists the sophomore from Westlake, Ohio as the squad's top option at one of the outside linebacker spots.

"Well, I'm not sure because actually I haven't seen the depth chart," Brown laughed.

If Brown did glance at the university's official release, he'd see Ryan tagged as the program's only clear-cut starter from the sophomore class. Classmate Toryan Smith is listed as an either/or starter with Joe Brockington at one inside linebacker slot. Coincidentally, it's the physical dimensions of both sophomores that have helped their depth chart rise.

While Brown swears that size, strength and speed don't matter much in his evaluations, it's impossible to miss Smith's stoutness on the interior at 6-foot-1, 244 pounds or Ryan's range on the perimeter at 6-5, 244. Ryan's length has helped make him an easy fit in the 3-4 front where he's as likely to play off the line of scrimmage as put his hand down on the turf. Ryan did both in nearly equal proportions during the Blue-Gold Game this spring.

Based on fall camp's opening days, Ryan may have a ways to go before settling into his new role. Even though he's already impressed the staff at defensive end, evidenced by his action against Air Force last season, the complexities of outside linebacker don't all come naturally for the St. Ignatius graduate. Take pass drops, for example, a technique new to Ryan this spring. That novelty continues to show in practice as the sophomore thinks his way through repetitions as much as he flows through them.

"I've never had to drop back in pass coverage before so it's something new and difficult at first," Ryan said. "I think just the newness of the whole thing makes it a little difficult just because it's different."

Maybe that's why Ryan doesn't put stock in his first-team distinction on the depth chart.

"It's definitely a job that still needs to be won," Ryan said. "The guys at outside linebacker are all talented, they're all very well-suited to the job. You never know what's coming up behind you. You never know what freshmen are coming."

How Ryan develops this season is equally unclear. He's said he's packed on nearly 10 pounds since last fall yet holds room for more. Playing a new position also means Ryan isn't exactly sure of his ideal weight. He said he won't push the scales simply for the sake of a target number.

"The key is if you're going to put on weight, you put on good weight," Ryan said. "If you look at the position, the guys that play it have a wide range of shapes and sizes."

Somewhere on that list, probably close to the top in Ryan's mind, is John Abraham. The defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons played six seasons for the New York Jets (2000-05), overlapping with Brown for two years there. During those seasons, the 6-4, 258-pound Abraham posted 106 tackles 20 sacks. Ryan doesn't plan to reproduce those numbers in South Bend, but it's worth a shot. Checking out Jets tapes, something Ryan did this off-season, provided more than a little inspiration.

"Obviously some of the things he does, I can't do," Ryan said. "But it's good to see it on tape before you go out and try it for yourself."

Pull off an imitation of the NFL veteran and Ryan won't have trouble sticking with the starters. Brown would have no trouble identifying Ryan in that case, with or without a depth chart.

Updated on Friday, Aug 10, 2007 8:00 pm, EDT

 

[johnnd05]

This is pretty old, but still worthwhile I think.

Smith brings physicality, attitude to ILB

By Tim Prister, IrishIllustrated.com Senior Editor – Rivals.com

You don't have to go very deep into a conversation with Notre Dame sophomore inside linebacker Toryan Smith to get a good understanding of his attitude on a football field.

"I love all the contact, the grind," said Smith, the 6-foot-1, 244-pounder from Rome, Ga., who says the words as if he's drooling over a thick, juicy steak.

"I think that directly correlates to me. I think I fit that mold of being a big guy inside. I feel I need to bring that presence in the middle and establish the inside. You can't be a middle linebacker and not lead, so that's my goal."

It would appear to be a rather attainable goal for Smith, who played in nine games as a rookie in '06, but managed just 27:07 playing time behind guys like Maurice Crum and Joe Brockington, both of whom remain in the mix this season.

Smith likely will battle Brockington for playing time at the Mike linebacker position, where size definitely plays a significant factor. While defensive coordinator Corwin Brown says he looks more for production than prototype size for certain positions, head coach Charlie Weis has indicated on numerous occasions that the inside linebackers in a 3-4 personnel alignment need size to take on those uncovered guards coming off the line of scrimmage. That's especially true of the Mike linebacker.

Smith provides that size and much more.

"He's tough. He likes football. He enjoys it," Brown said. "He plays it the way I envision it being played. He's physical. He's very physical."

Smith earned his aggressive reputation at Rome High School in Georgia where he was a first-team linebacker on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Class 4A all-state team. In his junior and senior years combined, he was credited with 229 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and six interceptions.

After biding his time behind Brockington in '06, Smith pulled even with the current Irish fifth-year senior in the spring. Now it's a battle in training camp to determine who gets the first snap against Georgia Tech on Sept. 1.

"Definitely," said Smith when asked if he felt like a starter. "If I sit here and tell you I don't want to be a starter, I'm not a competitor at all.

"I feel if I'm on the field, I'm a starter. I'm a guy out there. I want to be a dependable guy. If you're a middle linebacker, you've got to be a force out there. That's what I want to do."

Smith said it wasn't easy logging just 27:07 last year, but he understood why after the initial disappointment.

"It was difficult at first," Smith admitted. "But toward the end (of the season), I realized I was a freshman and I had to pay my dues. I didn't know the system inside-and-out. If you're going to be out there, you've got to be doing it right."

Even a confident player like Smith had to go through a bit of a reality check when he first arrived at Notre Dame.

"Last year I was out there in practice and it kind of tripped me out," Smith said. "I'm going against Brady Quinn and Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija. It was kind of cool, but at the same time it was real competitive. As far as getting used to the tempo and the speed of the game, I feel like I've adjusted well."

Smith's physical nature has him much better prepared for his sophomore year, particularly with the Irish in a 3-4 against those "guard bubbles."

"It isn't as bad as it may seem because on the line of scrimmage, we're four yards away from them, so it's not like a kickoff return where they have a 40-yard head start," Smith smiled. "I feel if I play with good leverage, I'll be all right."

The mental aspect of the game has improved for Smith as well.

"Things have slowed down a lot for me," Smith said. "I grew a little bit, I got stronger and I got faster. I feel like I'm ready physically and mentally to compete at this level."

Updated on Friday, Aug 10, 2007 2:01 pm, EDT

 

[johnnd05]

And here, FINALLY, is an article on the forgotten man, Scott Smith:

From sidelined to sideline-to-sideline

By Tim Prister, IrishIllustrated.com Senior Editor – Rivals.com

The lasting image of Scott Smith is from 2005 when Corey Mays, Notre Dame's starting linebacker, lost a contact lens in the second game of the season against Michigan.

In went Smith, an untested freshman, and all of a sudden, the ball was in the hands of dynamic Michigan wide receiver Steve Breaston on a reverse.

Uh-oh.

But there was Smith, dragging Breaston down from behind—perhaps even saving a touchdown—in a 17-10 victory over the Wolverines.

Smith would play briefly again later in the season against Michigan State and Washington, accounting for a tackle in each game. He also saw action at linebacker against BYU. But he ended up with just 5:57 playing time.

It was better than what he ended up with in 2006.

Smith was not used in game competition last year, and as disappointing as that may have been at the time, it's shaping up to be a real blessing for first-year defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. Brown and the Irish staff like what Smith has shown since the spring, so much so that he is in line to earn a starting spot at one of the four linebacker spots in Notre Dame's new 3-4 personnel alignment.

And he has three years of eligibility remaining.

"We really like what we've seen out of Scott Smith," Weis said. "He's one of those guys who's forcing us to take notice of him because he has position flexibility. Here's a guy who can play both outside (linebacker) positions and both inside (linebacker) positions. Most people can't do that.

"He's strong enough and physical enough to play on the edge, but he also shows enough awareness in pass coverage where you can play him inside and not get exposed there.

"There's no doubt that he's in the mix. I don't know whether he'll end up inside or out, but I can tell you he's definitely in the mix."

Considering that Smith failed to see the field last fall, that's rather amazing. Yet the soft-spoken Smith isn't looking back. He's just happy to be in the position he's in today. Smith has even learned how to be philosophical about his inactivity last year.

"There are definitely positives that can come out of it," said Smith, the Highland Park (Ill.) High School product. "Just seeing the drive of other players and how hard work pays off.

"When I was a freshman, Corey Mays was a fifth-year guy, and that was the first year that he had seen significant time. So that's a motivating factor and a reality check that maybe not everybody is going to play right away.

"But when you're opportunity comes, you better be ready. When it's your time, you have to take advantage of it."

Brown says Smith is taking advantage of it by tapping into his diverse skills and intelligence.

"Smitty is reliable, and what he did in the spring, he's doing that now," Brown said. "He plays with good fundamentals and good technique. He's smart. He's not afraid. He's got good size. He gives you flexibility.

"We ask all of our players to be flexible, able to adjust, and have some versatility. He's one of those guys."

Smith was listed as the co-starter, along with senior Anthony Vernaglia, at right outside linebacker on the 2007 pre-season depth chart distributed to the media. But Weis said to disregard that to some extent because Smith also is a candidate for significant playing time at both of the inside linebacker positions.

One way or another, look for a whole lot more of No. 41 in a Notre Dame uniform this fall.

"He's the type of player that if he wanted to focus in on one spot, he could do that," Brown added. "But whenever you have a guy that is able to do both, you want him to be able to do both, especially if it doesn't hurt him at other positions. Everybody can't do that. He can."

Smith downplays the praise of his versatility.

"When it comes down to it, whether it's inside linebacker or outside linebacker, every linebacker is doing the same things—you've got to be able to play with your hands, you have to have good feet, be aggressive, be a good tackler…" Smith said.

"Those things carry over no matter what spot you're playing. There are some different responsibilities, but I'm just trying to get into my playbook and learn the schemes as well as I can."

Smith certainly has the physical makeup to help at all of the linebacker positions. Weis talks about the need for size at linebacker in the 3-4 personnel alignment, and Smith is a sturdy 6-foot-3, 244 pounds.

Smith likes the freedom Brown's system gives the players.

"I think the biggest difference is being more free and just playing," said Smith of Brown's 3-4. "There's not as much thinking going on. It's more straightforward. You just play and try to make plays.

"There are still certain things with any defense that you're going to have to be aware of and make different calls. It's just the idea that there's freedom to be more aggressive and use the skills you have to your advantage."

The freedom to just play…That's music to the ears of someone like Scott Smith.

Updated on Friday, Aug 10, 2007 3:15 pm, EDT