Travis Leitko?

[iowadomer]

I was just reading an article on The South Bend Tribune that said Leitko has left the team. Can anyone give further comment to the situation, as to why Leitko would leave?



Leitko in limbo?

Notre Dame officials had no official word on the absence of defensive end Travis Leitko from the most recently updated Irish football roster on the school's Web site.

Weis declined to discuss dangling personnel issues as well on Tuesday.

"When we get started on August 8, there will be a roster out," he said. "That's who we're coaching. At every university there's going to be some things that are better left unsaid. Unlike a lot of other universities who like to make everything their business, there's a lot of private matters (at ND), and it doesn't really do any good talking about it."

Leitko, reached at his parents' home in The Woodlands, Texas, wasn't much more forthcoming.

"Honestly," he said, "I'm not really prepared for that right now. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks or so, more will come to light, but right now I don't feel comfortable discussing the situation."

Leitko was the jewel of the 2002 Irish recruiting class, ranked 22nd among the nation's high school prospects at any position. The senior-to-be, however, has played sparingly at ND. He recorded five tackles last season, giving him 17 for his career.

 

[Irish Envy]

Sounds like he wasn't into getting "nasty" if you ask me. I think Charlie knows what he wants and won't accept anything less. I also think it is safe to say that someone as heralded as Leitko hasn't quite lived up to his potential, so that may speak volumes right there.

Good find.

 

[iowadomer]

It is really to bad because he and Frome were supposedly the two battling to start opposite Abiamiri, and if the Spring game was any indication, Frome may be slightly ahead in that battle. He must have been just frustrated with lack of palying time. This guy had scholarships from everywhere in the country a few years ago and has only had 17 tackles in his whole career!!!!!!!

 

[Irish Envy]

It is really to bad because he and Frome were supposedly the two battling to start opposite Abiamiri, and if the Spring game was any indication, Frome may be slightly ahead in that battle. He must have been just frustrated with lack of palying time. This guy had scholarships from everywhere in the country a few years ago and has only had 17 tackles in his whole career!!!!!!!

Exactly.

Getting scholarships and being heralded is one thing. Busting your ass and getting the playing time is another, and if it is evident by the way that New England was run, you don't just get PT given to you.

All I can say is I have complete confidence in Charlie Weis and will continue to do so until he proves otherwise. I am also super stoked about Kallen Wade and John Ryan, both big 6'5" DEs. Wade, in his build and through everything I read looks to be a carbon copy of Jason Taylor. Only if we could be so lucky.

 

[Rip Rap]

Sounds like he wasn't into getting "nasty" if you ask me. I think Charlie knows what he wants and won't accept anything less. I also think it is safe to say that someone as heralded as Leitko hasn't quite lived up to his potential, so that may speak volumes right there.

Good find.

The rumor is that this is an academic problem.

 

[jiggafini19]

Anyone else concerned about the "light" roster ND currently has? Depth is a big enough problem, but now mere numbers are becoming an issue. In the end, I guess I'm glad Weis is weeding out the guys that won't fit in. But they can't field a team with 60 people on it.

 

[iowadomer]

That just proves he has not been giving full effort. The guy is smart as hell. He got a 1510 on the SAT and a 31 on the ACT. He could have went to Notre Dame even if he wasn't playing football. That says volumes because even Chris Zorich, who could barely pass admissions with a football scholarship, graduated.

 

[Rip Rap]

That just proves he has not been giving full effort. The guy is smart as hell. He got a 1510 on the SAT and a 31 on the ACT. He could have went to Notre Dame even if he wasn't playing football. That says volumes because even Chris Zorich, who could barely pass admissions with a football scholarship, graduated.

He may have changed majors, but-if I recall correctly-he began his academic career as an aerospace engineer.

 

[Irish Envy]

Anyone else concerned about the "light" roster ND currently has? Depth is a big enough problem, but now mere numbers are becoming an issue. In the end, I guess I'm glad Weis is weeding out the guys that won't fit in. But they can't field a team with 60 people on it.

This is probably due it's own thread, but I was thinking the same thing. I'm wondering if there happen to be any walk-ons that we don't know about because it could certainly become a major issue.

 

[iowadomer]

We were already thin at many positions. All Weis is doing is getting rid of people that won't ever see the field (i.e. Chris Vaughn). This is a positive thing because we don't want people who can't be mental tough to be on the field in the first place!

 

[jiggafini19]

We were already thin at many positions. All Weis is doing is getting rid of people that won't ever see the field (i.e. Chris Vaughn). This is a positive thing because we don't want people who can't be mental tough to be on the field in the first place!

I agree with my friend to the West IowaDomer...but it is cause for concern in the short term. I think from a positive, productive standpoint it is good Weis is weeding guys out. From a numbers standpoint, they're short bodies.

 

[brucejcarr]

I believe in Coach Weis! If this kid is not able to play and is off the team....no big deal. Most LB's in college can play DE and the same goes for DT's. I'd actually like to see Verneglia or Ndukwe play some DE and get after the QB. These guys both have the size and speed to play the position. Looking at the roster ND has 12 Defensive Lineman, 7 DE's, 2 DT's and 3 DL's (not assigned a position up front). This is a deep number of Lineman on defense and with this staff they can motivate these guys to play over thier heads.

GO IRISH!!

 

[jiggafini19]

Again, it's only a short term issue. Getting rid of these guys simply makes the team stronger and opens up more scholarships.

 

[Irish Envy]

Again, it's only a short term issue. Getting rid of these guys simply makes the team stronger and opens up more scholarships.

Bolded. Agreed.

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

So Leitko is gone?

 

[guff]

The lesson in this story is that great recruits have potential and only potential. Many of these guys are so talented at the high school level that hard work isn't required. At the D1 level things change and not every star high school player is ready for that change.

I'm not sure what happened in this case, but in any event, unrealized potential is one the world's saddest sights.

 

[guff]

See you next year? Half way down the page

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sto...20050817-sbt-MICH-C1-Holt___ND_can_be_Dy_.sto

 

[Rip Rap]

See you next year? Half way down the page

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sto...20050817-sbt-MICH-C1-Holt___ND_can_be_Dy_.sto

TEXT:

Defensive end Travis Leitko hopes to return to Notre Dame in the summer of 2006 after sitting out this school year.

"Primarily it's academic reasons I'm not at Notre Dame this year," Leitko said via telephone Tuesday from his parents' home in The Woodlands, Texas. "That's the simplest answer. So I'm going to stay home, work out, take a few classes and get a job.

"It's not 100 percent that I will be back at Notre Dame next year, but there's not a very good chance I won't be."

Leitko sat out as a freshmen and recorded 17 tackles over the past two seasons as a backup defensive end and special teams player. If he returns in 2006, it will be his final collegiate season.

 

[guff]

Looks like Leitko will be back. After reading this story I hope he does well. ND can use all the pass rush it can get.

From the SB Trib

Prayers answered for ND's Leitko

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- If he never played another down of football, if he never got a second chance to touch his dreams, Travis Leitko could push forward knowing some good came out of the darkest moments of his life.

While in academic exile from Notre Dame during the 2005-06 academic year, Leitko set aside the shock and the shame and transformed himself from victim to survivor. He also discovered that the cheering doesn't necessarily stop when the football uniform comes off. And most importantly, he now knows what answered prayers look like.

He sees it in the smiles of his parents, both of whom made miraculous recoveries from cancer in the past several months while Leitko was taking care of them. He sees it in the normalcy that has returned to all of their lives. He sees it in e-mails and phone calls from former teachers, long-lost friends and even strangers who wouldn't let The Woodlands, Texas, product give up on his parents' fight -- or his own.

"It warms your heart to hear from people who say they're thinking about you and tell you they'll know you'll do well and that (they) would do anything in the world to help you," he said.

And now the door is reopening ever so slightly for Leitko to write a happily-ever-after script for himself. Notre Dame has readmitted the former prep All-America defensive end for the summer term.

"I am about to send in my application for the fall, and that shouldn't be a problem -- but you never know," Leitko said Tuesday via cell phone from The Woodlands. "I've also talked to coach (Charlie) Weis, but nothing is in concrete. We've worked some things out, and if everything goes well, it'll give me an opportunity to play for the team next year."

Leitko, back on track to graduate in May of 2007 and with one year of football eligibility remaining, will find a tough climb up the depth chart awaiting him if all the pieces do fall into place.

Classmate Chris Frome gained valuable experience as a starter in 2005 until he suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 15 against USC, but he'll be back in the mix in the fall.

Junior-to-be Ronald Talley had some impressive bursts in taking over for Frome and has been much more consistent this spring.

Junior Justin Brown and senior Dwight Stephenson have excited the coaching staff with their potential to complement incumbent starter Victor Abiamiri. And two incoming freshmen, John Ryan and Kallen Wade, add even more possibilities this fall.

But Leitko, with 21 games as a reserve and a modest 17 career tackles, has two role models to take heart from about triumphing over long odds. They just happen to sit across the supper table from him every night.

Leitko's mom, Janice, was bedridden from the end of May until just after Thanksgiving, her condition complicated by internal scarring from radiation treatments to eradicate cancer. To this day, she is not sure how she could have made it had her son been in South Bend during those months instead of back home with her.

Leitko's father, Mike, was weakened by cancer as well and underwent surgery just after Thanksgiving, also not without incident. Leitko cared for his parents full-time, his only diversion a language class he took at Montgomery County (Texas) Community College last fall.

"But right around Christmas, New Year's, everything kind of turned around," Leitko said. "And everything just kind of took off for all of us. Dad went back to work. Mom started cleaning up a storm. And I settled into a routine."

Leitko got an internship after the holidays with a local engineering firm, began working out in earnest for the first time in months and increased his class load at Montgomery County Community College.

He will change his major from aerospace engineering to history when he returns to Notre Dame.

"Aerospace engineering is something that didn't work out," he said. "Not everything does. I still have a passion for it, but I'm going to get a degree in something else, and then make a decision from there."

He hasn't given up on being the player he was projected to be out of high school, though. The jewel of the 2002 recruiting class knows somewhere inside of him his potential, his dreams have awakened. But he also knows how fragile they and life can be.

"These last few months have been so hard and have been such a blessing all at the same time," he said. "Part of you wishes it had never happened. Part of you knows you're much stronger for it having happened. It's one of those things you take it as it is.

"We'll see how this year turns out and how everything works. I appreciate the time I've had with my parents, and I love then both dearly. But it's time for me to get back and finish what I started, get everything back to the way it should be and finish everything up right."

 

[scooper]

This is great news for the team and for Leitko.