Notre Dame Freshman Cornerbacks: Best Numbers
The 27 Notre Dame scholarship freshmen were issued their jersey numbers as they begin summer school this past Monday (June 18).
While the numbers are subject to change, we look at who some of the best were to don the ones issued to them. Today we feature the four cornerbacks:
TaRiq Bracy: No. 10
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Brady Quinn (2003-06)
Owner of most Irish career passing records and one of only four players in school history to finish in the top 5 of the Heisman Trophy balloting in consecutive years: John Lujack (3rd and 1st in 1946-47), John Lattner (5th and 1st in 1952-53), Paul Hornung (5th and 1st in 1955-56), and Quinn (4th and 3rd in 2005-06).
Since 1961, Quinn and Rick Mirer in 1993 are Notre Dame’s lone first-round draft picks at quarterback.
Best Cornerback To Wear No. 10: Deveron Harper (1993-96)
Wide receiver recruit ended up playing both corner and safety, starting 29 games and totaling 172 career stops. Although not drafted by the NFL, he played five years in the league.
Honorable Mention: Randy Harrison (1974-78)
Started as a freshman from the outset at safety on head coach Ara Parseghian’s final team in 1974 when he recorded 57 stops, broke up seven passes and returned both of his interceptions for TDs. Then he had seven solo stops in the 13-11 win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl. He stepped in for an injured Joe Restic in the 1978 Cotton Bowl victory over No. 1 Texas and recorded five tackles plus an interception.
Quarterback Matt LoVecchio (2000-01) had an outstanding freshman season while helping Notre Dame gain a Fiesta Bowl bid, but he transferred to Indiana after his sophomore season.
Receiver DaVaris Daniels (2011-13) and safety Max Redfield (2013-15) had promising careers ahead prior to their dismissals.
D.J. Brown: No. 12
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Ricky Watters (1987-90)
Running back recruit shifted to flanker for the 1988 national title and paced the team in receiving with 15 for 286 yards. He also opened the scoring against Michigan with an 88-yard punt return. He moved to tailback for good as a junior and finished his career with 1,814 yards rushing. His talent was showcased more in the NFL, where the five-time Pro Bowl player rushed for 10,643 yards, caught passes for 4,248 more yards and tallied 91 TDs.
Best Cornerback To Wear No. 12: Robert Blanton (2008-11)
Excellent tackler and versatile playmaker recorded 193 tackles (19 for loss), 16 passes broke up and eight interceptions before playing five years in the NFL.
Honorable Mention: Marty Brill (1929-30) & Tony Fisher (1998-2001)
Brill was a running back transfer from Penn who never experienced a loss at Notre Dame, with Knute Rockne’s last two teams finishing 9-0 and 10-0 en route to consecutive national titles. He also earned All-American notice.
Fisher actually rushed for more yards in his career than Watters (1,849 to 1,814) and also was a threat as a receiver out of the backfield with 33 catches for a 12.2 average and five scores.
One of the outstanding walk-on stories in Notre Dame history is Ed Gulyas (1969-71), who paced the 10-1 and No. 2 Irish of 1970 in rushing with 558 yards. He also caught a crucial fourth-down TD in a 24-7 victory over Dan Devine’s Missouri team, and set up the game-winner in a 10-7 win versus Georgia Tech with a diving 46-yard catch of a Joe Theismann pass.
Noah Boykin: No. 16
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Don Miller (1922-24)
Statistically the most productive member of the Four Horsemen, all of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Miller had the most yards rushing (1,933) among the quartet, as well as the most receptions (31), most receiving yards (590) and most touchdowns (22). His 6.83 yards per carry in his career stood for 68 years, until Reggie Brooks eclipsed it with a 7.6 figure.
Best Cornerback To Wear No. 16: Randy Payne (1972-75)
He started all 12 games in for Parseghian’s final Irish squad, recording 40 tackles, six passes broken up and two interceptions.
Honorable Mention: Ken Schlezes (1970-72) & Jim Sexton (1988)
As a backup corner, Schlezes tied a Notre Dame single-game record with three interceptions in the 1971 opener against Northwestern (the Big Ten runner-up that year), and he was fifth on the team in tackles in 1972 as a safety.
The starting punter for the 1988 national champs, Sexton came through with several clutch performances, particularly in wins versus No. 1 Miami and No. 2 USC.
Joe Wilkins: No. 18
Best To Wear Number at Notre Dame: Jim Crowley (1922-24) & Marchy Schwartz (1929-31)
Two College Football Hall of Fame running backs who starred for three national title teams under Knute Rockne. “Sleepy Jim” was the comedian of the Four Horsemen whose 1,841 yards rushing during his career averaged 6.3 yards per carry. He earned All-American notice with 1,004 yards rushing and receiving for the 10-0 national champs.
Schwartz played on the 1929 and 1930 national champs while becoming one of 16 two-time consensus All-Americans in Irish annals. His 927 yards rushing (7.47 yards per carry) for the 10-0 team of 1930 were a single-season record at Notre Dame until 1976.
Best Cornerback To Wear No. 18: Ted Burgmeier (1974-77)
Recruited as a southpaw quarterback, he enrolled the same year as Joe Montana. As sophomores in 1975, Montana threw a quick eight-yard out pass to split end Burgmeier that turned into an 80-yard TD with 1:03 left in Notre Dame’s dramatic 21-14 comeback victory at North Carolina.
Burgmeier shifted to cornerback the following year and in 1977 received second-team All-American notice from the Football Writers Association of America for the national title team.
Honorable Mention: John Carney (1984-86) & Joey Getherall (1997-2000)
Prior to becoming one of the top five scorers in NFL history at the time, Carney was 17 of 19 on his 1984 field-goal attempts — highlighted by an NCAA record 10 of 10 from 40 to 49 yards.
The speedy 5-foot-7 Getherall became a cult idol among Irish faithful, catching 74 passes in his career (14.3 yards per catch) and eight scores, and also excelling on punt returns.
Running back Bob Minnix (1969-71) led Notre Dame in rushing during the 1971 season with 337 yards.
Receiver Duval Kamara set a Notre Dame freshman record with 32 catches in 2007 (since broken by Michael Floyd).
Note: All but Boykin will share the number this year with someone on offense: Bracy (10) with senior wideout Chris Finke, Brown (12) with junior quarterback Ian Book, and Wilkins (18) with sophomore walk-on running back Cameron Ekanayake.
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne's Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcaston iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD, @BGI_DMcKinneyand @BGI_CoreyBodden.
• Like us on Facebook