Catching Up | by Pat
Here's a rundown on some recent ND news items.
Brady Quinn named Semifinalist For Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award
After not being named as a pre-season nominee, Quinn is now one of the 15 semi-finalists for the prestigious award. According the press release on und.com, here are all 15 semi-finalists.
Brett Basanez, Northwestern. Brian Brohm, Louisville. Brodie Croyle, Alabama. Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt. Cody Hodges, Texas Tech. Omar Jacobs, Bowling Green. Matt Leinart, USC. Drew Olson, UCLA. Paul Pinegar, Fresno State. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame. Michael Robinson, Penn State. Brad Smith, Missouri. Drew Stanton, Michigan State. Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech. Vince Young, Texas.
The three finalists will be named on November 22nd and the winner will be announced live on December 8th on the Home Deport College Awards Show.
I feel the competition to be named a finalist will be pretty tough. Matt Leinart, Brian Brohm, and Vince Young all have very solid resumes and are 1-2-3 in the nation in passing efficiency. Then again, Quinn is the only one who was named Top 10 NFL Franchice QB.
Tom Zbikowski earns multiple Player of the Week honors
Tom Zbikowski was awarded with a "Game Ball" award by the Master's Coaches survey, which each week hands out a game ball to their choice of that week's MVP on offense, defense, and special teams. Zibby was honored for his special teams performance. Zbikowski was also nominated for Player of the Week honors by USA Today. Completing the trifecta, Zibby was nominated for, and won, the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week award. Here's his highlight video for those that want a refresher on ND's special teams ace.
He is the second Irish player to be nominated for these awards as Brady Quinn has twice been named Cingular/ABC All-American Player of the Week.
Hoyte named Lott Award Semi-Finalist
Brandon Hoyte joins the award nominees with his selection as a semi-finalist for the Lott Award. The Lott Award is given to the Defensive Player of the Year, as judged by performance both on and off the field.
The other semi-finalists are Ohio State Linebacker A.J. Hawk, Kentucky Cornerback Antoine Huffman, Maryland Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, Alabama Linebacker DeMeco Ryans, Virginia Defensive End Brennan Schmidt and Virginia Tech Defensive End Darryl Tapp.
Notre Dame and Adidas sign 10-year contract extension
Equipment and uniform sponser Adidas committed to a 10 year deal worth over $60 million with the payout a mix of cash and apparel/equipment. The deal will continue a relationship that started in 1997. I'm hoping the deal bans the future experimentation with mismatched colored sleeves.
UT Pre-game and Halftime notes
In perhaps one of the best timed flyovers I've seen, four F16 jets screamed over ND Stadium as the final notes of the National Anthem sounded from the band. If you're headed to the Navy game this weekend, keep your head up as another flyover is scheduled.
And for those wondering why exactly the band played a Romanian pop song as part of their half-time routine, the inspiration is this legendary internet video.
