Everyone likes Dayne on the team dont get me wrong....But the Michigan game last year he lost a lot of respect in the locker room. When Dayne was standing on the sideline while Montana was in....a player from the defensive side of the ball went up to Dayne and asked Dayne if he was alright. Dayne replied he was fine. The defensive player responded if your fine the why the **** are you not in the game...Dayne just stood there.
That is coming straight from the team. Hendrix showed last year in practice that he is a gamer from many players, and that he has "it".
All the QBs have respect, its just Hendrix is gonna get the team to play for him. When things went wrong last year, Crist disappeared. As much as Clausen took heat for not being a so-called leader, and how Crist was a great leader...I didnt see it. I think Dayne can make them believe in him again, its just that right now theres a little lack of confidence in him.
I won't speak to Crist's leadership ability or whether he has the locker room behind him too much, just because I'm likely not as informed as Turning Point.
However, I think a lot of us do have some concerns with Crist in that he does seem kind of soft. I know the injuries play a major part in that perception, but as much as I love Crist (and I think he'll be our best guy this year), doesn't it seem like he's a leader in a manufactured sense?
I don't know I guess that's how I've always felt. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Crist isn't a natural leader, but sometimes it feels like he's trying so hard to be THE leader that it comes off as fake in a very innocent and harmless way, but still fake.
I still think he has a bright future and can lead this team to some great things, but I, like many people, really want to see more from him when the going gets tough in 2011.
If he's lost part of the locker room, and hasn't gained it back...that could be trouble. I hope he has gained it back.
But Hendrix...it's been pretty clear that he has turned a lot of heads since he stepped on campus. I would say he's had the most hyped redshirt season at Notre Dame, yet at the same time, he was curiously not that much hyped. He's had a strange past year or so in South Bend.
Anyway, we've heard some whispers here and there over the months that the Voodoo Child is the Truth. Personally I think he's a great fit for the offense, and probably just as good of a fit as Golson.
If what TP is saying is true, and again we've heard some things come out here and there that do confirm it...then I'm not so sure this is going to be Golson's team in a year or two.
To be sure, I think Golson is ridiculously talented...but I've always thought Hendrix was right up there with him in the sense that he's bigger, stronger, older, etc.
And when I look at Hendrix, I see a killer. Maybe this is what TP is talking about in regards to the players and respect. I've always got the sense that there's something really special about Hendrix, and I'm not sure how to deal with it when we have a talent like Golson coming up right behind him.
Hendrix has the mixture of speed, size, toughness, and a cannon arm...and it's his toughness that really separates him from all the other guys, including Golson (to this point, since he's so skinny and likely never to be a tough runner like we expect Hendrix to be). I really think Hendrix is going to be nipping at the heels of the starter this year, I really do.
Just something about him....
