The future is now at ND
Irish recruits see a winning future for Notre Dame underclassmen.
By ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer
Dayne Crist is plodding along in traffic on U.S. Highway 101, his CD changer empty, his head teeming with a new wave of insults aimed at the future University of Notre Dame quarterback and the current Irish football team.
"You've got to realize, my high school is on the other side of the hill from USC's campus," said Crist, a 6-foot-5, 221-pound senior from Canoga Park, Calif., and a seemingly walking, passing infomercial for Notre Dame's teams 2008 and beyond.
"I'm not sure that I've run into someone who hasn't given me a hard time about the Irish starting out 0-2. But I take it in stride. I tell them, 'Wait, you'll see.' I'm supposed to talk to coach (Charlie) Weis tonight. And I really don't have any questions for him. I can't question him, because I have so much faith in him. And I know he's such a talented coach, he's going to find a way to win. I just can't wait to get up there and be a part of it."
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"One thing people have to realize is these kids, these recruits are not yet part of the team, so they don't feel the malaise about the team now. They're looking to the future, and the future is Jimmy Clausen," [said Tom Lemming].
Which makes Crist's enthusiasm so perplexing until you find out what makes the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School quarterback tick.
Crist, 17, and Clausen, who turns 20 on Sept. 21, went to Chaminade Middle School together in Southern California. They were not football teammates, however. Clausen played on the school's flag football team. Crist chose to play tackle football, so he joined a Pop Warner team.
It was Clausen who invited Crist over to his father's house near campus to play video games during the down time of Crist's recruiting visit. It was Clausen who recruited Crist harder than any other current Irish player. It was Clausen who called him to see how Crist's visit went. It was Clausen who still touches base with Crist on a weekly basis, just to check in.
"I consider Jimmy a friend," Crist said. "Some people think there's this animosity or rivalry between us. Well we are both very competitive people, but we want to be around other competitive people. That's how college is. I mean it's a competition. That's how you get better. That's how you build winning teams."
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Some, like Crist, may have to wait. Clausen, after all, is only a freshman. But the highest-rated prospect in the class (No. 10 nationally regardless of position) is willing to do that if patience is asked to be his virtue.
"I definitely have a lot of people ask me why I'd go to Notre Dame with Jimmy already there," he said. "Again, what they don't know is how competitive I am at everything. Just by nature, I give 110 percent to whatever I do. I'm just confident that whatever I do and whatever happens will be the best situation.
"I'm not necessarily concerned about having to go play early or play right away. But when I do play, I want to play great. I want to be the best prepared when it's my time to play. I want to be comfortable. I just want to be in the best position to be successful when it's my time. And I'm going to compete every day until coach Weis says, 'Dayne, it's your time.'"
