Most badass Notre Dame player (or former player)?

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Aaron Taylor has vivid, if not entirely pleasant, memories of his first hours in a Notre Dame uniform in August of 1990.

"Chris Zorich was the guy who I took my first reps against," said Taylor, who was an offensive lineman. "He threw me to the ground and then he ragged on me. Over and over."

That evening Taylor slunk back to his dorm room. "And you have to remember," he said, "I was All-Everything in high school coming out of De La Salle. But that night I cried to my mom wondering if I could play at this level."

In his terrific soon-to-be-released book on the Miami-Notre Dame rivalry of the 1980s, "Perfect Rivals," author Jeff Carroll recounts how in 1988 Chris Zorich played most every practice consumed by rage. During one August scrimmage Zorich (right) who perhaps not coincidentally graduated from the same south side Chicago high school that produced **** Butkus, would attempt to pick a fight with a different teammate after every down. Finally, according to then-coach Lou Holtz, Zorich found someone who was willing to fight him.

"Me," said Holtz. "I grabbed his facemask and told him that if he were going to take on anyone out here, it would be me."

"...as a boy he (Zorich) used to dumpster-dive for discarded ground beef and then his single mom, Zora, would extract the spoiled parts and cook the rest)..."

/End of thread

 

[irishpat183]

Marc Edwards. And it's not debatable.

He ran pissed off.

 

[EddytoNow]

As far as Notre Dame goes, Alan Page and Chris Zorich were as dominant as any defenisve linemen I've ever seen at the college level.

If we include players from other schools and other positions, you've got to include **** Butkus (all-time bad*** linebacker) and Jack Tatum (all-time bad *** defensive back) Tatum struck fear in wide receivers who dared to run a route into his territory.

 

[koonja]

Bruce Heggie with a distant second being Zibikowski.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I see a couple of people mentioning Marc Edwards. He ran hard and blocked hard, but Ray Zellars ran hard and he was also gangsta!

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