The Irish Huddle: NFL Combine recap, Jarrett Patterson injury, Reggie Brooks interview
BlueandGold.com is back with another edition of The Irish Huddle, a podcast covering all things Notre Dame football hosted by Blue & Gold beat writers Patrick Engel and Tyler Horka. Monday’s special guest is former Notre Dame running back Reggie Brooks.
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Before getting to Brooks, the hosts start the show with the results of Notre Dame players who participated in last week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Former Fighting Irish quarterback Jack Coan and Kevin Austin Jr. kicked things off in impressive fashion in Thursday’s workouts. The latter ranked in the top-five in multiple important metrics while clocking in with a head-turning time of 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Former Irish running back Kyren Williams had a less impressive showing in various drills. He ranked last — 27th out of 27 — among running backs who ran the 40 with a time of 4.65 seconds. All-American safety and projected top-10 pick Kyle Hamilton did not fare much better. He ranked 14th out of 15 safeties with a 40 time of 4.59 seconds. How much did those two talented prospects hurt their draft respective draft stocks? The hosts go over that in great detail starting with Williams at 6:25 and Hamilton at 10:10.
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At 15:10, the hosts switch to a more pressing topic concerning the current Notre Dame roster. Graduate student center Jarrett Patterson will reportedly miss spring practice, which begins on March 17, with a pectoral muscle injury suffered during offseason workouts. Patterson could have easily been in Indy with his former teammates, but he put off the NFL Draft for one more year to return to Notre Dame for a fourth season as the starting center. Who will replace Patterson for the spring session? How much of a hindrance will it be for the Irish offense? The hosts touch all the bases there.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Coaches Poll
Chaos reflected in new Top 25
- 2New
Quinn Ewers MRI
Texas 'cautiously optimistic' on QB
- 3Hot
Updated SEC title game scenarios
The path to the championship game is clear
- 4
Kevin Wilson
Tulsa expected to fire head coach
- 5
SEC refs under fire
'Incorrect call' wipes Bama TD away
The Brooks interview kicks off at 21:45 with an explanation of how he got involved with an app that allows fans to interact with their favorite sports figures via video chat. The app is called Meetlete, and it is a proud sponsor of The Irish Huddle podcast. Brooks goes on to share what his role is as the executive director of Holtz’s Heroes, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to preserving and supporting the legacy of Coach Lou Holtz and his players.”
Brooks discusses his recruitment and how he and his brother, Tony, ended up at Notre Dame after growing up in Tulsa, Okla. He offers a rundown of perhaps his most famous play — the “unconscious touchdown” — at 35:10. He finishes by expressing what his friendship with fellow former Notre Dame running back Jerome Bettis has meant to him and his expectations for the Fighting Irish under new head coach Marcus Freeman.
