Trevor Laws: All-American | by Pat

With the overflow of All-American lists these days, Trevor Laws was bound to make one of them. After getting shunned by just about every traditional AA list, he was named an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly. (He's also a lead-pipe-lock for the BGS All-American list.)

I had planned to write up something about the omission of Trevor from nearly all the major All-American lists, a couple of other Irish blogs (The Irish Roundup and Band of Brothers) already have it covered. Trevor's statistical superiority over the other candidates is unquestionable.

I have to admit, I'm certainly not used to complaining about a lack of recognition for an Irish player. After all, no school in the country benefits more from public exposure than ND. Win or lose, ND is always in the public eye and, more importantly, Irish players nearly always get the benefit of the doubt. Even an injured Tommy Zbikowski can get named 3rd Team All-America after perhaps his worst year in an Irish uniform ('06).

Still, there was something to the way Trevor comported himself this season that makes it difficult to just shrug this off. Opposing offenses usually ran to the other side of where he lined up, and when they did come at him, he faced constant double-teams. He, along with the rest of the defense, was afforded little help from a struggling offense that relied on the defense to make the big play. As the season spiraled out of control and the losses mounted, he had to have questioned why he ever came back for a fifth year. But he never let up, and he played every down with a relentless passion that made it seem that a national championship rested on the outcome.

So, rather than try to lay out the groundwork for why Trevor was screwed or rationalize away why he wasn't named to any major award list, I guess I'll just say thanks.

Thanks, Trevor, for playing your heart out, despite a tremendously challenging year. We'll miss you.